White
by Furlix60
Summary: AU: Hinata, an heiress to a kingodm with no color, finds herself invovled in affairs of love, conspiracies, trecharies, and adventure as she is faced with many decisions that could all end in disgrace. A multi-fic, KibaxHina. Bad summary, 4th story. R
1. White

**Quick Note; OMG! Another bad story by me; hopefully, though, this one is better than the others; Updates will be slightly slower, due to length, and I tried to make this one good, but it still might not be...sorry...please R&R!**

**Pairs: MAIN KibaxHina, SOME NejiTen, NaruSaku, one-sided NaruHina, MINOR InoChouji, POSSIBLY ShikaTema (Uncertain about last two; reviews would help on that...)**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the characters in anyway (Sounds like a recording) but the plot I guess you can say is mine...

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**White**

A quiet breeze blew itself across the large lake, in the middle of a forest. The pine trees barely moved their powerful branches at the insult of wind. It quickly carried itself far out into the lake, until it reached its destination. Hidden mostly by the cool early morning mist was an entire kingdom built upon white columns. It was built right up from the water, as though one day the gods had given birth to this perfect city and it had just burst from beneath the light waves. It curved itself upon the supports, the city markets split into several districts.

The district lying only a few yards above the water was where the poorest of the poor dwelt; the beggars. Though, no thieves dwelled, for this kingdom was as pious as any dwelling. The beggars were few in number, and were no more harmful than the royal court members. Up the layers of white columned homes, open for the air to breeze through and the sunlight to grace, laid the richer folk. The higher the castle of white climbed, the more developed and detailed it became, until you reached the tip of the kingdom, the white palace.

Built towering above the rest of this man-made kingdom, the castle was like any other; large, with spiraling towers over looking the rest of the kingdom, high in the clouds. A long, thin white bridge connected the castle, on its solitary supports, to the rest of the kingdom, like a draw bridge in the air. Due to no ground, however, the castle was thin, not wide, and secret, small stairs led from the bottom of the castle downward, hidden from view of the village and waters, that led to the lowest of levels, under the supports completely. Here dwelled two things; the tiny dungeons that no one had seen nor inhabited for decades, and the escape route for the royals during a time of cease; just a well hidden dock with tiny boats that hid well in the mist and waters. Though these, like the dungeons and stairs themselves, had not seen human flesh in centuries.

Dwelling at an open window space in this very castle at one of the tallest towers was a girl, no older than nineteen, with her elbow propping up her chin as she watched a few white birds fly in the perfectly blue sky, just beneath white clouds and the light, bright sun that was almost fully raised. Her skin, pale like the stone around her, reflected even whiter against her cream kimono which covered most of her arms and her feet, which were wrapped in silk slippers anyway. After a moment of gathering herself, she slowly turned from the window, dropping what her other hand had held; a white lily. Seeing as the kingdom was on water, the only wines that grew on the castle walls and supports were lilies, and other numerous water plants. It was amazing how high they grew, but she had never really stopped to think about this. All she saw was white flowers; more white, to add to this already colorless castle.

She strolled down the marble floors and walls, past the few vases of light grey that polluted the hallway. Above her, on the ceiling, was the mural of angels. Dressed in white they were, identical in appearance. They were all pale, with dark, almost onyx, hair. Their eyes were wide open, showing the white, and pupil-less design of their interior iris. A few strung a cord or two on gold harps, others merely admiring a flower, white roses of course. They matched the very figure that strolled beneath them, as they should; they were her ancestors, after all.

She finally came across two gigantic white doors, marble, with silver lining and metal decorated with the kingdom's flower; a lily. She quietly pushed open one of these doors, then snapped it shut behind her. She strolled past the white cushions that stood neatly pressed beside her white marble vanity and across her empty room that was large. Above her once more was a ceiling mural of those who had come before her, only it only consisted of the females. Queens, to be precise. As it was customary for the eldest to resign in this room, and so she did. She did not stop to take in any sight of her pure room, only going straight to the bed. It was large, large enough for four princesses, and as white and unwrinkled as possible. She took no time in flopping down, still with eloquence, and found herself collapsing on its white sheets. Her dark hair, with traces of navy blue as an almost purple shine, spread itself out, the straight hairs flaring in different directions. Her pearl eyes, usually full of happiness, faded into a dull grey. Her smile, which she forced herself to do every day, faded, being replaced by her true expression; a deep frown.

She lived the life of a fairy tale princess, in this perfect castle. But, She would trade every fairytale thing just for the one thing she longed for the most; color.

This entire kingdom was nothing but white; white walls, white village, white cloth. Never was a dye purchased, and the flowers grown were always white. White was the color of death for her. She felt insane, for when those rare occasions came that she actually saw bright colors, she would flinch, unaccustomed to its color. This is why she secretly admired her long, dark hair. Not the way a vain person might for beauty, but in the way that this dark color was the only thing that reminded her that white was not the only color. She treasured her hair like a secret trinket, something small children hid from their parents. She showed little affection or liking towards color in public, but once alone, she hung on to every memory and detail of color. It was the one thing many took for granite, and yet it was the one thing she was missing in this seemingly perfect life.

Even now, lying on this white cloud that the servants informed her was a bed; her own kimono was white; simple and white. No colors, no lining, and a bit of white lace, but it didn't really matter; it was white; white like her white, her eyes, and her silk slippers. The cloud city, as some called it, was exactly that; a cloud of the purest of whites that solidified itself on the lake's surface, then gave birth to its own cloud people, all pale and dull as ever, so holy and sinless. Like angels, who lost balance and fell one day to this castle, this piece of heaven. But, to her, this heaven was a hell; a big, white, fluffy hell.

Her eyes and subconsciously fluttered shut, but quickly reopened when she heard a light knock at the door.

"Come in."

The door creaked open slightly, and in popped a familiar face. A small girl walked in, her own pale eyes and dark hair following her pale skin. Tiny hands reached up as the figure upon the bed rose, slowly slipping to her feet. Hinata quickly applied her smile, which wasn't so fake for she always was happier at seeing this face than most others.

"Hinata-san, Hinata-san!" The tiny girl giggled, smiling brightly at her sister.

Hinata couldn't help but giggle at her tiny life-like companion.

"What is it, Hanabi-chan?"

Hanabi smiled a big smile, her white teeth near sparkling as she jumped up in down in her light kimono.

"Hinata-san, father beckons me to tell you a-about the ball!"

Hinata was slightly startled.

"The ball?"

"Yes, the ball! The ball for tomorrow night, in honor of the new alliance between the two kingdoms…" She trailed off, her finger to her lips and her brow wrinkled as she thought. Five years younger than Hinata, Hanabi had never been the brightest at geography. However, she was seemingly more skilled in every other aspect than Hinata, or so everyone informed Hinata constantly.

Truth was, Hinata was nothing compared to her sister. Constantly, her tiny sister was found more sociable, brighter, and stronger. Hinata was weak and spineless compared to her. It was a shame the Hyuuga clan, for that is who ruled this kingdom, were so up-tight no tradition. They would have preferred the heir be Hanabi rather than shy little Hinata. They attempted to prove Hinata's lack of worthiness, slowly convincing the council and it's servants and servers with rumors and lies. Few ever believed them ,knowing Hinata too well to be able to believe the words, but some, like Hinata's cousin, had fallen for the tricks. It wasn't until recently that Hinata's cousin, Neji, had met her, realizing all the stories were lies, and was now one of her closest friends, though few in number they were.

Hinata, secretly, challenged them. If they succeeded in turning the entire castle against her, more power to them. Best case scenario, she would be banished, and then released into the world, full of color and life, where she could live away from the cooped up castle life and in the forest or mountains that surrounded her.

"…well, anyway. Guests have already been arriving; s-so father wanted me…to…" Her voice died from its cheery voice to a whisper, and her eyes drifted from her sister's face to the floor.

Hinata had never heard her sister stutter, or so hurt either. Hinata felt fear grow over her; she had an idea of what was wrong, and quickly tried to confirm it.

"Father is not wanting me to attend once more?"

Her father rarely showed his disgraceful daughter to the public. Hanabi's eyes widened.

"N-no, no! That's not it at all! It's just that…"

Hinata was confused; normally her father did not let her attend such occasions, but letting her come was more troubling than not.

"H-he wishes you not t-to stand in the place o-of the Hyuuga Heiress…"

Hanabi's voice was shy and soft, dissolving as she spoke. At once, Hinata's heart broke, but she tried desperately to hide the disappointing look on her face.

Hyuuga Heiress was the title given to the Lady of the Court. She was second in command over the kingdom, whether that is to her father or husband, whomever was the king. She always stood beside her king, at every formal gathering, and stood proud as he spoke. Once her father died or retired as king, she would be given absolute power for a year until she had been wed. Unfortunately, she would have no say in her husband. He would be chosen by the king, or her father, and then approved of by the council of Hyuuga Elders. The bride-to-be would be powerless over this decision.

Her sister's tears snapped her out of the day-dreaming.

"Do not cry, Hanabi-chan! It is my job to cry, and tears of joy I shall cry when I see you besides father at the ball. Now go, find the best seamstress in the market and demand nothing short of best for the future Hyuuga Heiress."

Hanabi walked quietly from the room, closing the door behind her. As soon as it was shut, Hinata flung herself onto her bed, curling up as she tried to silence the pain now rising in her gut. And then, she cried.

And no, they were not tears of joy.

* * *

A rush of adrenalin ran through him as he pushed past branches, trees, bushes, and all sorts of foliage. He laughed a deep laugh as a bark sounded behind him.

"Too fast for ya, eh, boy?"

A bark sounded in reply, then a low growl. The young man continued to run faster, the gap between the man and his followed growing. Apparently, his partner was tiring.

"Kiba, will you stop for a second?"

The man behind spoken to turned his head, immediately regretting it as it suddenly hit a stray branch. Flipping forwards, he landed on his back side. As soon as his head was lifted, he once more regretted it, for out of the bushes tripped a five foot long white ball of doom-er-fluff.

"Ah! Akamaru!"

A branch was pulled back, and out popped a head. The head had a face of puzzlement, staring down at the body barely visible underneath the white dog that sat, panting, on top of his owner.

"Akamaru, is Kiba under you?"

He heard grunts from below the dog; that was a yes. Akamaru quickly stood and trotted to the side, allowing his brunette master to shake his head and stand up. Kiba looked up at the new comer. Kiba's eyes were similar to that of his dog; beastly, slits of black, and rough. His skin was tanned and on his cheeks were the red 'fangs' of his noble family's crest. For centuries, they had served as knights under their kingdom, loyal like their companions. It was only natural to follow that tradition.

The figure whose head watched Kiba began to laugh, his own blonde hair shaking violently as he cackled and fell over, clutching his stomach.

Kiba snarled, and then began to laugh to.

"I see it!"

This voice silenced the two's laughter, and they quickly followed to its source. A dark haired night with matching eyes of coldness in his infamous black armor stood on top of a small cliff, over-looking the giant lake that was large enough to be a sea. He had his body slightly turned towards the lake, which was covered in mist thick enough for any soul to be lost in. Kiba and his two companions strolled over to the knight. The blonde stepped in front of them all, smiling out towards the lake.

"Well, we'd best be leaving soon. Which direction, Sasuke?"

Sasuke mumbled something about 'sir', obviously referring to his title that his superior had dropped. Kiba rolled his eyes from behind him. Kiba, the same faithful rank of knight as Sasuke, never cared too much for titles, but Sasuke seemed hung up on them.

"Straight ahead, through the mist."

The blonde nodded, and then turned away from the two knights. Sasuke followed; unaware of the scowl he was receiving from Kiba. Once the two had disappeared, Kiba turned to his loyal, over-grown companion.

"Well, somewhere out there lies the time of our life, eh, Akamaru?"

Akamaru yipped in agreement.

"Yeah, and with it is the girl of our dream, too."

Akamaru didn't reply, starring out across the lake. Kiba sighed; he knew this was probably was an understatement. The only real reason he was going was to protect his superior, and the only reason his superior was going was to find possible candidates for a wife. With so many countries gathered, this was as good as any bride-to-be-ball there was. But, being a knight of such a high class and from such an astounded country, Kiba's own pick in the ladies wasn't anything low. A few minor princesses, maybe a duchess or other royal maiden. Of course, some were off limits, like a few he had heard that were actual possible candidates for his superior, but that didn't bother him; they were probably snobbish and stuck-up. He almost pitied the man he served.

Turning down the cliff, he beckoned Akamaru to follow. The dog trotted quickly behind him as he raced to catch up with his companions. He didn't have time to be thinking about wives; his only duty now was to serve the one he had pledged his life to protect.

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A light knock stirred Hinata from her sleep.

"Hinata-sama?"

She opened her eyes, lifted her head, and watched as from outside of her door a head popped in. Bearing similar dark hair to Hanabi with identical eyes, the only thing that separated the new arrival's appearance from Hanabi was his masculine features and light silver armor that showed as he stepped inside the white room.

"Neji-niisan!"

Neji blushed at the nick-name. He coughed, trying to clear his throat.

"It's _Sir _Neji, Hinata-sama."

Hinata smiled, rolling her eyes playfully at her mistake.

"I'm sorry, _Sir _Neji. I'll remember that in the future. Meanwhile, you should use _my_ proper title as well, _Sir _Neji."

He opened his mouth to speak, and then quieted it with a soft chuckle. She was right; they rarely used formality between the two close cousins.

"Well, I hope you are faring well, Lady Hinata, for I bring news to you of the ball."

Hinata found her heart crumble once more that day, still early in the morning. Mention of the ball seemed to disgrace her more than anything else.

"Hinata, have you anything to wear?"

Hinata's eyes widened. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind.

"N-no…" She nearly gasped. Neji, however, smiled.

"Good, for I have already settled the matter."

With two claps of his hands, in walked a brunette maiden, her hair pinned into two buns and her chocolate eyes bright with joy as she bowed and presented Hinata with a furisode kimono.

Hinata nearly fainted. This furisode kimono was nothing like any other kimono she possessed; it was not white in the least. In fact, it was blue. Not just one blue, but many. Light blue, dark blue, sea blue, sky blue; plenty of blues, all matching in the combination. What was more was lilac flowers were printed on the pattern of the kimono, accenting it like lilies of the lake. The obi was a matching blue and purple fuse, folded the bunko style. The han was a darker blue, while the han-eri was folded right, to symbolize 'alive'. The sode hung long after the arm length ended, and the entire kimono glimmered in the light.

"I-it's beautiful," Was Hinata's first thought. Her second, however, was, "I don't deserve this…"

She, of course, spoke both opinions.

Neji laughed, chuckling at his cousin's modesty.

"Hinata-sama, if anyone deserves it, it's you."

Hinata mumbled a thank you, once again receiving light laughter from her cousin.

"Don't thank me, thank Te-I mean, this lovely seamstress who made it for you."

The seamstress offered out a hand, smiling.

"Name is Tenten, weapon mistress and occasional seamstress in my spare time. Neji here came to me with this request, and I couldn't hardly refuse. I hope you like it," She said, a tomboy accent hinted in her words.

Hinata smiled, on brink of tears from the kindness shown.

"Now, when is this supposed ball?"

Neji turned, slightly frowning in confusion at Tenten.

"Um, tomorrow evening; why?"

"Good, good; I'll be here around sunset to help the fitting of the kimono and dressing of the hair; I'm quite good with that," She added quietly to just Hinata, pointing to her perfectly proportioned buns that rested on her head. Hinata smiled, happy to have made a, if not friend, acquaintance in such short time. Neji rolled his eyes, turning back to Hinata.

"Now, who shall be your escort?"

Hinata once again froze. Escort? There was so much she had yet to consider of the ball; so little had crossed her mind. But now that she thought about it, of course it was important for any member of the royal Hyuuga clan to be escorted. With no suitor yet decided, Hinata had, naturally, no one.

"Well then, that's settled; I'll escort you, Lady Hinata, for as the Hyuuga Eldest-" Hinata noted that he did not say _Hyuuga Heiress _"-shall go disgracefully without an escort."

Hinata immediately had a bitter comment to this, but held her tongue.

"Well, I shall take my leave now; fair day, Lady Hinata," Tenten said as she exited from the chamber, a very happy Neji following her. Hinata caught his wink as he closed the door. And soon as the sound of steps disappeared, she sprawled herself on the bed, her limbs and hair spread out limply around her as her eyes and smile faded once more. The silky kimono, now resting in her ivory dresser, was a gift she surely did not deserve.

Hinata took pity on her mind, letting it drift away from guilt and shame into her constant fantasies of the perfect prince. He would be taller than she, and darker, with a tan. His hair would have color, not a dark black like she constantly saw. His eyes would be dark; nothing lighter than a deep blue. His smile would be crooked, and not perfect like every soul in this hell hole. He would be bright, brave, and bold; adventurous to say the least. And, he would love her with his entire heart; nothing short of it. Once married, the former Hyuuga Heiress, as her fate seemed to be favoring, and they would live far, far away from this cloud-colored prison. They would live in a forest, or base of a mountain; somewhere where the sun set with oranges and pinks and yellows, and rose with just as much color. The sun wouldn't always be just a bright spot on plain blue sky; it would forever change, each day more beautiful than the next. It would be a cottage; small and homey, but big enough for the children. Yes, not just one but not too many. Just enough to fill her life with adventure and never a dull moment. She would dress them, and herself, in bright colored kimonos; simple, nothing fancy, for she never liked fancy, but bright. These Hyuuga's wouldn't be covered in white like the ceiling murals; not, they would be proud and bold like their father, not spineless like their mother.

Yes, her perfect prince could deliver all this and more. He would be proud of his reject-of-a-wife, and see past what others saw; her for whom she really was. Thoughts of dancing with this invisible man slowly drifted her into a light sleep, into more dreams of her mysterious prince.

For once, while asleep, she actually had, plastered upon her face, a genuine smile.

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**A/N: I hope this story is better than my others(Like I said maybe six times now...) If anything doesn't make sense or is crappy, please review and I'll work on it! I actually _like_ this story, and I'm _almost_ proud of it, but I won't really know if it's any good unless people review, so pelase do! You can flame if you want, or review, comment, criticize; whatever is fine as always!**


	2. Red

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Quick...Note: Wow! People like this story! I'm flattered, especially from the reviewers! Thank you all SO much! My internet didn't work, so even when I wanted to update, it wouldn't let me. I'm not as proud of this chapter as the last, but can garuntee this will probably be the worst chapter in the story, seeing as it's the most boring. The only crucial part it plays it's plenty of foreshadowing, future referrences, and tying-up of ends not described earlier in first chapter. Everythnig onward is key to plot, this chapter is basically just chapter1 pt2...

Also, as far as staying in character, as was broguht up by yumi-maki(thank you!) I'm trying HARD to keep them in character, but some might not seem that way (Especially spoiler Kankuro in this chap) I can garuntee Sasuke isn't gonig to seem in character throughout story, but, hey...someone had to be...I'll make it up to you later, Sasuke...also, as far as Hanabi goes, with such little character development in manga and anime, she seemed open; plus, I never cared for her, but A) My sister convinced me she seemed more like this and B) she needed to be ncie and sweet for this story. sorry...

This is a KIBAxHINA story, with NEJIxTEN and NARUxSAKU, onesided NaruxHina, and minor, MINOR InoxChouji and ShikaxTema, but the last two aren't fully decided...

Any questions and concerns not answered in story, quick note, or A/N jsut leave a review; I'll try answering it, most likely through next chapter update, as best I can...

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**Red**

A light knock woke Hinata, the blank darkness of sleep fading as some visible light penetrated through her eyes. Her eyes slowly fluttered open as she looked up, stretching and yawning as she did. Her hair loosely cascaded over her shoulder, and she rubbed her lazy eyes, trying to diminish what little bit of sleep was left in them.

"Come in," she replied sleepily, letting a small moan of comfort escape her mouth as the door opened.

In strolled Neji, no expression present on his face. He walked in with his head held high, his hands behind his back. He looked no different than when she had seen him last. He raised an eyebrow.

"Sleeping? Hinata-sama, I'm surprised; I had no idea how tired you were for you to sleep so long."

Hinata's eyes widened and she quickly turned to look through the lonely slit in her wall that was her window. Her eyes came face to face with a setting sun, no more beautiful or different than a rising sun.

"S-so late? How'd I s-sleep for so long? W-why didn't anyone w-wake me!"

Hinata jumped out of her bed, racing to her vanity to quickly begin preparing herself. Through her frantic questions, Neji sighed, strolling over to her.

"D-did I miss dinner? I-Is Hiashi-sama mad? H-how did l-"

As she turned around, her mouth collided with a hand. Looking up, she saw Neji, who had clasped his own hand to silence her frets.

"Hinata-sama," he said in a serious tone, causing her to stop futile attempts for him to remove his hand.

"You have not missed dinner; it is soon, but you did not miss it. You need to calm down. You know what I think?"

Hinata tried to give him an annoyed looked so he'd remove his hand, but he ignored her and looked in the opposite direction; she merely rolled her eyes but listened none the less, still impatiently.

"I think this ball is stressing you out. So, you need to relax. Come, we shall calm you with fresh air."

Just the thought of fresh air had wonderful effects on Hinata. She calmed down, taking in a deep breath as Neji removed his hand, and she strolled over to her vanity. She slipped on a light white cloak, for being so high up it was bound to get chilly, and then slipped on some worn, white slippers to protect her feet and toes from the nipping cold.

Then, she picked up a brush and carefully stroked its teeth through her hair, admiring its blue and lilac tint secretly as Neji patiently waited. Taking a white ribbon, she tied her hair loosely behind her, and then followed Neji out of her doors to the long corridor. Past the open windows to the end was a small door that led to the side stairs. Opening it, Hinata looked down at the all too familiar spiral staircase of white marble, like everything else in this castle. Neji and her, having grown up their entire lives here, were used to the hundreds of steps that led to the bottom floor so many feet below them, and made quick work gliding down them.

At the foot of the stairs, another door, identical to the first, opened up to the side to reveal the grand foyer. The floor had its own stone pattern of white and cream design, which was cut perfectly in all sorts of shapes of white flowers and gems. In the middle was a statue fountain, with two birds flying to freedom and beneath them the beauties of carved stone. Hinata found this fountain ironic, seeing as this castle was anything but freedom, more like cages of pure, insane white.

Strolling to the middle, Hinata and Neji had merely made it to the door when a loud and energetic voice called from behind.

"NEJI!"

Hinata froze, for a second scared of the new comer. Turning to see Neji, she saw him wincing, obviously recognizing the voice. When Hinata continued her turn, she came face to face with another knight, his hair shiny and black, cut perfectly much like a bowl. His eyes, large and round and beady, were stern with his giant, fuzzy brows curved downward in all seriousness. Hinata gulped and Neji sighed, slowly turning to greet the knight.

"Hello, Sir _Lee."_

Lee saluted to Neji, showing respect. Hinata found herself thinking that he was over doing every action, especially when he shouted his replies.

"SIR NEJI, I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO INFO-"

"LEE!"

Lee slightly cringed as Neji shouted, apparently growing a headache by the seconds. Hinata, still shocked, quickly remembered her cousin's constant drabbles about how annoying his partner was. By the description of the '_youthful_ and bowl-headed bombshell that had disgracefully been accepted as a knight through pure luck' as Neji had supplied, she assumed this was the one and only Lee; the same whom Neji argued that fate had hated him the day Lee was ignited as a knight.

"Lee, _please_," Neji said, trying to stay calm and more so begging than asking in an attempt to not explode on Lee. He sighed as he rubbed his temples, counting to ten in his mind. "_Please_, just…what it is?"

"The report is in, Neji, of your stations for-"

As Lee continued, still speaking in the top most urgency, Neji leaned closely to Hinata and whispered, "Go outside; I'll meet you in a bit."

Hinata muttered a soft, "Hai," and turned to exit. That's when the feeling overcame her.

That feeling like she was going to explode if she did not get air. That hysterical feeling, when one moment you're calm, then the next you're killing to get out. It was an unheard of emotion, a silent feeling deep inside of her that wanted out that had remained hidden until now. Now, it wanted to scream and cry; anything to see and breath air. This new urge was so dramatic and so overwhelming that Hinata could barely control it. She pushed as hard as she could on the doors. Finally, they gave way and opened.

Once climbing up from the docks and past the layers of the white city, one finds themselves at the white drawbridge, thin and shaped with white iron like swans dancing. Long, but sturdy, the bridge leads to the courtyard, as large as could fit. Normally empty, the courtyard was filled with white stones and no flowers or grass; just white stones. Up white, wide marble stairs lead to the castle's huge gates. But, as Hinata stepped outside, she found herself face to face with the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

Her first thought at the sight before her was "Blinding color!" Indeed, that's what she saw, for before her were carriages beyond carriages of just that; color. Hanabi had not lied when she said the guests had arrived. Hinata could not contain her excitement as she sped up to the first carriage, glancing at others around her in the process.

They all were different sizes, shapes, and most importantly, color. The first she came across was blue, with gold trimming and metal that shaped like thousands of birds. Peering inside, Hinata saw the seats were velvet with a dark blue color and the walls had gold fabric printed on them. The next was a light yellow/green, with all sorts of flowers Hinata had never seen of decorated on the bronze metal. The doors and windows were closed and covered with a dark green fabric, but Hinata didn't mind; privacy was important to nobles. Passing by more carriages, her eyes fluttered to one distinctively. She couldn't help but go near it.

The color of it was one Hinata found herself entranced by; red. Not a bright, ugly red, but a dark, deep red, like blood. Red was the color of life, after all; unlike white, which was death. Gold lined this carriage as well, as did thin gold threads embroidered into the fabric of it shapes like creatures she'd never seen. Swirling winds caught her eye, and she traced the details with her fingers as the winds twisted. The fabric was warm, but Hinata had no idea why. Maybe it just seemed that way because of the heat, but it was so high up that the winds would have cooled it down. Hinata's eyes followed the patterns towards a giant sun, beating down on people painted into the fabric. By their style of clothes, Hinata assumed one thing; they were from the desert.

The carriage door swung open, and Hinata found the source of the heat; three bodies crammed into the carriage would, naturally, warm it up.

Hinata's eyes widened and she froze as out stepped a tall, muscular figure. His back was turned for the moment, and Hinata quickly took in the sight of his clothes. He did not wear much metal, just a shoulder pad and knee pads, and a metal chest plate that she would never have noticed under the black tunic he wore over it had the wind not blown slightly. His feet wore open-toed sandals that showed his tanned toes, along with bits of sand that he shook from his feet. On his back he carried a large sword, or that was what Hinata assumed for it was wrapped heavily in bandages to hide its appearance all except a fur-coated handle. Turning around, he was just as shocked to find Hinata standing there as she was. Hinata took one glance at his face and then diverted her eyes, having seen enough.

His broad chin, matching his slightly round face, turned to face her heart-shaped face. His dark brown hair was slightly mangled as it blew roughly in that slight breeze. As he turned and faced her, his face seemed tense. Seeing her slight fear, he loosened up, smiling at her. She still looked, baffled at the strange markings in his face; purple, no magenta. They ran along his eyes, lips, up his chin and across his cheeks, even down his forehead to his nose. Hinata had always dreamed for colors, but it never had occurred to her to plaster the color upon your face, other than make-up.

"Good day, Lady, ja. I'm Sir Kankuro, here to escort my sister, Lady Temari, and our brother, King Gaara. We hail from Suna, ja."

He then smiled a cheeky smile, one where both eyes winked closed and his face screwed up into a big smile. His voice clearly held some sort of accent to it, and he seemed full of confidence, more or so cockiness. He seemed to Hinata as a kind of guy who was both arrogant and humble; someone who could easily point out faults in others, recognize his own, but still hold pride in battle. Hinata smiled, still slightly taken back by the odd appearance, and felt beads of sweat fall down her temples. Why was she so nervous?

Then, something else hit Hinata as she realized what exactly he had just said.

Hinata's fear was replaced with excitement; _Suna?_ Suna, as she had heard, was a magnificent kingdom off in the deserts, the buildings of sturdy sand just like the people they say. The sun was said to set there, in that very city. The sands never were one color; red one moment, orange and yellow the next, and finally gold and bronze. Many creatures and flowers thrived in Suna, and only Suna; the diversity was beyond imagination. Hinata almost squeaked a second time, realizing her rudeness for being so silent in the gentleman's company and keeping him waiting for his reply.

Before, however, she could even squeal out a word, another figure stepped from the carriage; a female, this time. She turned, her face also slightly agitated until spotting Hinata's own. Her body was long and her curves full and she swayed seductively as she walked to greet Hinata. Her dress was long and red, with a long slit running up the side. Her blonde hair, golden in the poor sunlight that the kingdom received at this angle, was split and pulled into four pony tails, each evenly spiky. Her blue eyes with tints of green made Hinata envy her deeply, for her own eyes were so bland and boring. Her face was more pointed and sharp at the chin than Hinata's but still soft, and her complexion was flawless. Around her shoulders sat a white ferret, though whether it was dead or alive Hinata could not tell. Her one hand was stroking her ferret while the other was concealed behind her back. Her smile formed slightly wickedly at first, but the closer she got, the more Hinata realized it was a friendly jester.

Kankuro turned and smiled, one eye winking in a cheeky way, only to receive a thwack on his head by a tiny, and what looked to be iron, fan from his sister that she had hid. Hinata watched as the lady, about a year or two older than herself, unfolded her black fan to reveal a design of oranges and reds sewn into it, mostly in similar designs of the desert to that of the carriage.

"Ouch, what was that for, ja?"

The lady scowled at Kankuro.

"Baka, did you not see this is the Hyuuga Heiress?"

This lady seemed somewhat bossy, but in a motherly way almost. She was head-strong, loud when she wanted to be, and most likely took control. At least, this was the impression Hinata received.

Hinata was about correct them, shame overwhelming her, when the third and final figure stepped out from the carriage. Hinata's eyes instinctively darted to him, and she gawked in awe. She had expected a tall, wise and aged king. Instead, she found herself looking at a man no older than herself, and certainly not much taller. He had violent red hair, which was short and loosely combed. His skin was pale, more like her own that his companions and he wore the princely attire of Suna, which consisted of a dark maroon and brown, slightly worn from the sun's heat and sand. He was thin, not at all as bulgingly muscular as his brother, and his face was less broad, more round and pointed at the chin like his sister.

His eyes, which had been preoccupied with the complete other direction, now faced Hinata's, staring deep into her own. They were minty green, with dark black circles around them. Behind them seemed intent of anger, harm, or something. She was afraid looking into those eyes, wanting to pull away and run. But, she couldn't. She found herself starring at these awkward eyes, and as she did so, they seemed to lighten up; they loosened and were now less tense.

Now, they seemed calm.

"Y-you m-m-must b-be King Gaara, s-sir."

Hinata inwardly winced at her stuttering which had seemed to reach its extreme in the presence of this young king. He neither smiled nor returned her words, but merely let his siblings do the talking.

"Well, I'm terribly sorry for my own rudeness, Lady Hinata," Kankuro bowed, apparently putting on his best manners to impress her as he continued to smile playfully. She laughed at his formality, and shamefully giggled when Temari hit him once more.

Temari continued to scowl, argue, and hit at Kankuro as Hinata watched, smiling at the sibling behavior. Even royalty had moments where they acted like children. She had turned her back completely to watch the two and nearly yelped when a finger tapped her shoulder.

Turning, she found herself starring into those eyes, once more.

"Excuse me, may you show us to the castle?"

His voice was gentle and soft, but otherwise held no emotion. Hinata relaxed, earlier feeling as though he would practically murder her. She slowly formed a smile, then bowed in his presence, and looked back up, starring into those deep eyes. He certainly did not strike as a friendly person at first and most likely not sociable. However, she was sure he eventually warmed up to some, if few, and wasn't all cruel and heartless as his eyes betrayed him to be.

"Hai," she replied, and then turned towards the marble doors before her.

She began to walk lightly on her feet off towards the direction of the castle, King Gaara and his fighting siblings following.

Horses neighed as reins were pulled and carriages came to a halt, for feet away was the lake and end of their destination route that evening. One stopped abruptly; too abruptly for the passenger, who grudgingly leapt from the open carriage door and stormed to the leading caravan. His angered cheeks matched the shade of red on his facial tattoos. From behind him trotted a large dog, his tail wagging excitedly, knowing his master was about to blow and feeling the slightest ping of pity for the sucker he vented his anger on.

"Hey, what gives?"

The carriages had stopped behind the leading one, for feet away was the fog covered lake. A face peered out of the window of the leading carriage, and Kiba felt anger rise slightly more, turning into a small snarl; Sasuke. As if on cue, Sasuke made Kiba hate him even more by adding some snide comment to further anger him.

"What's wrong, sat on your tail or something?"

Akamaru snarled as he spoke and Kiba found himself about to launch an attack on Sasuke, had it not been for a hand that wrapped around his arm, pulling his back. Turning, Kiba saw Naruto holding both Kiba and Akamaru, by his tail, back, gritting his teeth at the strain.

"Kiba," Naruto spoke through his gritted teeth, "You need to calm down. Getting aggravated at the smallest things isn't good timing. We're just camping here for the night."

The anger was swept away and Kiba sighed. Akamaru took a bit more convincing, but after a soft stroke from his master, came around. Kiba turned his back to Sasuke, who smiled victoriously. He let out a small snicker, and Kiba found his fists forming.

Kiba and Naruto had been friends ever since their days in the academy, training as mere squires and then full-fledged knights. They had been rough, mischievous and, above all, competitive. Not only towards each other, but towards any other squire that crossed their paths; especially Sasuke of the Uchiha clan. He had always been a prick through Kiba's eyes. Mysterious, quiet, but arrogant as well. The ladies of the courts fantasized about him, and most men admired him. But not Kiba; he had senses that usually helped him judge someone's character, and he was almost always accurate. No more so than with Sasuke. While everyone trusted him with their lives, Kiba knew better. He knew Sasuke was a no- good, lousy liar who would one day crack and betray them all.

To say the least, Kiba didn't trust Sasuke.

This mistrust only doubled with his personal dislike towards Sasuke, mostly due to, as he demonstrated seconds later, his cold comebacks.

"Naruto, you should send that flee-bitten mutt to the pound. And take his dog with him."

At this Kiba snapped, twisting violently around, ready to launch himself at Sasuke, who had now removed himself from his carriage. However, Naruto was quicker and once more had grasped Kiba, using all his energy to hold him back. Sasuke merely shrugged the situation off his shoulder, walking away with his tent and pack in tow, setting up his site at the edge of the clearing they had settled in.

Naruto pulled Kiba in close, whispering in his ear a warning.

"Kiba, don't let Sasuke get to you. He's only messing with you. Just…let it go."

Kiba shrugged Naruto's hand off, walking back to his own carriage to also unpack.

"Easy for you to say; you befriended the bastard," Kiba mumbled, a foul mood settling over him.

It wasn't long before Kiba had his tent set up, in the opposite direction and position of Sasuke's, and was settled into his deer skin cloths, set upon a poorly made cot that was easy and quick for accessibility. He grumbled, still aggravated with Sasuke and his dirty comments, but finding himself slowly cooling down. Images of Kiba doing in Sasuke made a smile settled on his face, an evil snicker slowly following. Akamaru curled up beside Kiba as the sun began to slowly fade.

Looking across the lake of dark blues, through the heavy mist that was slowly lifting, he saw the silhouette of the white kingdom, the host of this ball. It looked beautiful from the view, and Kiba knew it was even more precious in person, or at least he had been told. Never having left his homeland, except a few knightly missions, Kiba had grown up his entire life unaware of other kingdoms and their geography. That was part of the reason he begged so much to be given the opportunity to accompany Naruto to this ball; that, and to meet ladies.

Now Kiba was very happy. He had never been a real romantic guy, but he loved the ladies. He hoped to one day settle down with a nice girl, nothing too special or complicated. A simple love, with little effort no either side other than love. They would meet, fall in love, and then marry. Nothing complicated or too complex, just…simple. She would be moderate, pretty but not ditsy. Graceful, but still human. He knew anything more, at goddess level like the princesses and duchesses of the courts, was too far from his reach, and accepted this. He kept his range wide, but never dared to be greedy, searching into territory that was not his, respectively. He just wanted a wife that could blow him away, and that was fine. The less politics involved the less hassle.

These thoughts, along with invisible meetings with this mystery girl from deep in his fantasies, slowly drifted Kiba off to sleep, a dreamless sleep that was both peaceful and uninterrupted as night fell upon him. Akamaru soon followed, food in his mind. The campsite fell silent as each knight fell into their slumber.

Hinata enjoyed silently as she walked forward, leading the guests. At the moment, Kankuro was reciting a few wonders of Suna, mostly in the division of knights, while Gaara silently stalked from behind and Temari merely rolled her eyes at the exaggeration.

"You know, these facial markings are a sign of an ancient technique of sword fight that only I've been able to fully master, ja," Kankuro said, matter-of-factly. Hinata widened her eyes in surprise, smiling at this. Temari clenched her teeth, aggravated at the brag, but said nothing more. Gaara was still saying nothing.

At the entrance to the castle, a small sprint if you were to run from where Hinata and the newly arrived guests had begun, the doors opened, revealing Neji, holding a few scrolls apparently handed to him by Lee. At first glance, he merely saw Hinata, and apologized for making her wait. At second glance, however, he nearly fell over, easily recognizing the Suna royals and practically fainting at their sight, which was a very Hinata thing to do but he was not completely incapable of doing just that.

"H-H-Hinata…" He began, trying to catch his breath, a hint of squeak in surprise following. Realizing how _unmanly_ he sounded, he quickly cleared his throat, regained his posture, and spoke in a prideful voice to the newcomers and Hinata.

"Hn, dinner is ready. Are you going to accompany us?"

A part of Hinata was lifted at these words. Eating so little all day would, of course, make her hungry, but then a second thought hit her. Her father would be attending, naturally, and she wasn't ready to…face him. Not like it wasn't every night he asked how her progress was in etiquette and training, only to be replied with a simple, "Poorly, sir." No, it was the fact she'd have to look him in the face, fighting back tears, trying not to ask about her position as Hyuuga Heiress.

Hinata bit her lip, trying to hide the sudden disappointment in her heart as she feigned a smile, looking at her cousin, and replied as strongly as she could.

"No, I do not feel up to such a…crowd, as I assume with so many guests this evening. Tell father I shan't attend," _not that he cares, _she added in her mind. Neji, of course, didn't catch this, and merely nodded.

"I'll have a tray sent up after dinner."

Hinata smiled in her gratitude, and then turned to her guests.

"I-it was a pleasure meeting you. Please, allow Sir Neji," She spoke his formal title in public, "to guide you to the dining hall. I-I hope to see y-you again at the ball t-tomorrow," She added softer, smiling and blushing lightly. To her surprise, Kankuro gave her a cheeky smile while Temari smiled brightly.

"Of course! We can't wait to encounter your charm again tomorrow, ja," Kankuro added, causing Hinata to blush in flattery.

"Yes, you must endure with us for a little longer, for I'd love to hear of the culture on such a shut-in kingdom you have," Temari added, a comment that would sound snide in anyone else's voice but her own. Hinata knew she meant best, more of a compliment if anything, a gratefully accepted it, once again shoving from her mind the earlier mistake Lady Temari had made by stating she was the Hyuuga Heiress.

Gaara did not speak, but merely starred. Hinata caught his eye, and for a moment it was silence, until finally he answered a quick, "Hai."

Turning, Hinata left the party standing in the foyer. She held back newly forming tears, that she herself had no idea were forming. Was she unhappy, she thought? No, she was content. It must have been the overwhelming thought of her father's disappointment…that's all.

Hinata had led herself up the side stairs, down the corridor, and nearly slammed her door in her chambers in her rush to get inside. She let out a long sigh, her eyes closing as she slid to the floor, her back against the door. She could barely believe the results of the day, thinking it had to be a dream. She was now waiting for winged horses to fly through her window and her dream prince to whisk her away to fairytale land.

This made her giggle. There was no such thing as fairytales. There were no happy endings, and even those that were real were rare in number, and certainly did not obtain to her life. She gathered what little pride she had and stood, walking over to her bed to neatly crash down upon it instead, dawning her cloak and slippers on her way to it. Once her face was buried in the feather-filled pillows and her cold skin had connected to the cloth, she felt tears run down her face. She felt that fake smile vanquish and those bright eyes dull to a demeaning color.

She felt the cold, wet tears stain tracks down her face, then over her chin and her neck. They then fell to the sheets beneath her, staining the white to blotches of dark grey, soon being dried once again to white by the light breeze that blew from the slit that was her window. She didn't bother to slip under the covers, but merely let the breeze rock her slowly to sleep and her tears dispersed. Her smile, faded, was replaced by the blank expression of sleep, and she found herself once again in her true form; sorrowful and still, in sleep.

The breeze stopped, but she felt colder than ever. The built up emotions inside were finally breaking out now, but why? The emotional stress was eating her away, torturing her hourly. Every second she breathed, she felt the pain sink deeper into her like poison. She needed the stress to go away, but she couldn't fathom an idea how. She finally concluded that once the ball was over, all her stress would just fold away. She could move on, being a supportive lady to her Hyuuga Heiress sister, standing in the background and shadows, watching as others received the praise they deserved. Sometimes, she would selfishly think about whether or not she was envious; whether she wanted to for once receive the praise. But, she knew she never would; it wasn't meant to be.

With these comforting thoughts of her normal life returning once more, sleep once again slipped over her. The wind returned, tickling the back of her neck. Behind her, then sun was practically gone, the only remaining lights being the few scattered dots that were the campsites of the foreign villages that had decided to make their arrival known tomorrow.

The wind not only carried sleep and harmony, but troubles and conflicts for the near future.

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**A/N;Sorry if Sand Sibs seemed out of character; I tried to add enough description to give clear image of them, hopefully in character, but doubt they are. This would be considered post time-skip, cux they are 19 and older in this fic, so that's why Gaara isn't evil, Kankuro is more tolerable (BTW, I love Kanky, so that's why he's cool in this fic!) and Temari is, well...Temari...sort of... **

**Sorry if also, this knid of came out looknig slightly HinaxKank, 'cuz it's not...he's just being polite, as is she; nothing but gentle gestures between the two. As far as GaaxHina goes, minor, MINOR-MINOR one-sided GaaxHina, I suppose, but it's so small, you can barely count it GaaxHina; msotly, just friendship. Anyway, sorry for the rants, crappy chapter, and bad anything else I forgot to mention. R&R, if you want...sorry, again...**


	3. Blue

**Quick Note:** **YEAH! Another chapter out! I rewrote this one several times, trying to get it just right, and if I didn't succeed, I think I got pretty close, or at least hope so...This one turned out a bit longer than inticipated, so some thnigs were shortened for the sake of others; it's not the best quality, but it's only gonig to (hopefully) get better from here on out...**

**PAIRINGS:MAIN KibaxHina, SOME(a bit mroe than SOME) NejixTen, NaruSaku, one-sided NaruHina, Minor InoChouji, ShikaTema (Thanks GiantFishSquid!And ALL Reviewers for that matter!)**

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**Blue**

The fluffy, thick brush gently brushed across her cheeks, leaving behind a rosy blot that stood visibly out on the pale white face, enhanced by white blush. The cherry pink, thinner brush glided across her lips, adding both a glossy texture and look. An even thinner, smaller brush outlined her eyes, the cool dark liquid foreign feeling as she watched it add an extra pop to her eyes. She watched this all as fingers that weren't hers traced her face with every make-up imaginable, adding to her already natural beauty, through the conveniently placed mirror before her.

She was barely recognizable.

"There, all done with that," Tenten exclaimed as she withdrew from Hinata, admiring her achievement. Hinata continued to stare, both overwhelmed and astonished at the amazing feat Tenten had acquired. The sun had nearly died, already stars shining through the cloudless sky. Hinata, wearing nothing but her under-slip kimono of white, sat at her vanity as Tenten, like she had promised, dressed the girl for the ball. Hinata had insisted she could perform the tasks herself, but Tenten would hear none of it, fulfilling her promise the previous day.

Hinata could barely fathom words, turning to face Tenten.

"I-it's beautiful; arigato."

Tenten smiled, claiming it to be no problem at all. As Tenten left to retrieve the kimono from the dresser, Hinata turned once more to examine herself. Her face, so smooth and pretty, was missing just one final detail; a smile. Her eyes, as pretty as they were with the decorations of eyeliner and shadow, held no light and happiness in them. Her mouth, as perfect and thin as it was, dropped slightly in a small frown.

"I don't deserve this," she whispered so softly that only her own ears heard. Tenten, oblivious to the girl's sorrow, came back, the kimono in hands, and smiled brightly.

"Here we are!"

Hinata stood, applying her trademark fake smile as she thanked Tenten. The blue kimono slipped on easily, Hinata being so thin, and the obi tied perfectly around her. The sode fell a few inches past her thin fingers, concealing them completely. The zuri slipped on easily, leaving plenty of room for her toes to wiggle contently.

When Hinata turned once more to face herself, she felt a new overwhelming feeling; unworthiness. What had she ever done to deserve such a beautiful kimono? She, the disgrace of such a noble family, was useless. Not to mention, surely this went against the tradition that said noble family held so high? This family, so bent on destroying every color imaginable to keep this earth _pure_ and _holy_ would definitely not approve of a kimono that reflected the very waters that caged this kingdom in.

Her feign smile disappeared as a feeling of disappointment took over her.

"Now, let me just…oh, where'd I place that brush?" Tenten muttered, unaware of the petite girl's guilt. She turned around, searching for the comb.

Hinata continued to stare at herself, pity overwhelming her. A part of her wanted to cry, but then the hour or so that Tenten had spent applying the make-up would all be in vain. Another half of her wanted to just stay and not go to the ball, but then she might disgrace her father and family, finally being given this rare opportunity to attend. However, she was sure to disgrace her name all the same in going anyway.

Tenten found the misplaced comb, turning back to Hinata.

The comb's teeth pressed into her raven hair, tugging at it until it felt like silk. Hinata, usually captivated by its shine, no longer felt happy watching the shades of color. In fact, she barely noticed, too distracted by the hole in her heart to care. Her hair just looked black in the lightless eyes.

"Finally, all done," Tenten responded, stepping back to allow Hinata to see. Her hair was pinned and braided into multiply loops and buns, with beads and ribbon cascading from it and a single lily with added dyes to bring out the lilac and light blue. Hinata really did want to cry, for Tenten had done a magnificent job, and she barely managed the quiet, "Arigato, Tenten-san!"

Just then, a knock sounded, followed by Neji's voice.

"Perfect timing; come in," Tenten called, crossing her arms as a smile played itself upon her lips. Neji stepped in, immediately losing his breath as he saw Hinata, smiling weakly at him. Neji gawked at his cousin, his pale eyes widening as a dumbfounded look overcame him.

A seductive hand on his shoulder and a light whisper in his ear brought him back to reality.

"You're going to catch birds with your mouth opened so wide," Tenten softly spoke, calming Neji slightly. He continued to smile as Hinata approached him.

"You look wonderful," he commented, then turned to Tenten.

"And you aren't bad looking yourself."

Tenten smiled. Her kimono followed the tradition of her kingdom, pure white, but also wore her own added touches to stand out. Green and pink ribbons found themselves lining and bordering the kimono, and also tied in her hair. A spin on the traditional look, she had told Hinata.

"Arigato and you're very handsome as well," Tenten politely added. Neji blushed, realizing he seemed under dressed compared to the two with just his formal white attire. He also wore his knight emblem, along with his sword in its sheath around his waist.

Realizing he was now just starring awkwardly at the two, who were exchanging looks nervously, he held out his hand and smiled to Hinata.

"Shall we?"

Hinata, smiling, took the hand and then turned to Tenten.

"You're coming, right?" It was more of a nervous plea rather than a question, Tenten noticed.

"I, um, well-"

"Tenten-chan, you have to come," Neji added, a look of worry on his face. Tenten blushed, aware that Hinata had heard the added 'chan', and reluctantly agreed, following the two as they made their way from the room, past the corridor, and down the spiral stairs.

Once entering the foyer, they crossed past the fountain to a set of large, ivory doors that led to the ballroom. Hinata took one last glance back at the fountain, which never looked more symbolic of freedom before in her life. How much she wished she could be like the birds, free to fly away and observe the earth in all its glory. Then again, those birds she envied were no freer than her; they were forever stone, stuck to watch as the humans beneath them came and went.

Hinata closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, as Neji pushed open the doors to reveal the trio to the court. When Hinata opened her white eyes again, she could have fainted there and then out of shock.

The room was filled with people ranging from every ethnicity possible, and Hinata completely forgot about all their eyes on her as she silently gaped at them all. Blondes and brunettes, green eyes and blue, tan skin and dark skin, green kimonos and yellow; every imaginable color. She forgot that she was even in the Hyuuga Kingdom, too overwhelmed at the foreign color. However, the heat that rose to her face of embarrassment caught her attention, and her mind quickly followed her body; fear crept up her spine.

She easily stood out, her pale skin and dark hair matching that of the hosting family but her kimono saying otherwise. The music had stopped, and so had the chatter that was easily heard from outside the thick doors. Hinata held back a loud gulp, and instead proceeded into the ball. She didn't know exactly where her feet were leading her until her target came into view; her father. It was tradition for a royal family member to make known their presence at an important event, such as this, and being a Hyuuga, said custom could _not _be overlooked.

Neji followed her, respectively keep at pace but a few feet behind her, and Tenten walked close to him from behind, hoping no one would recognize her as a mere maiden and not a noble member. Hinata kept her face up, but her eyes down, hoping to not make contact with her father as she neared him. Hinata had commonly read of this ritual, in her constant studies of her clan's history, but never had imagined it to be so quiet and awkward. She did not realize the silence and invariable stares as she approached Hiashi were due to her prominentiasHia appearance that easily stood out.

A few feet away from her father, Hinata noticed Hanabi was not by his side. Though as odd as she found this, she curtsied none the less, avoiding eye contact until her head reared up again. In his eyes, she easily saw two emotions; shock and anger. The shock was expected. He had never seen his daughter like this before. Through the rare occasions they met, she wore her simple white kimonos with light make-up if any at all, and her hair was usually down. Now, she was an elegant geisha that demanded praise, even if her confidence said otherwise.

However, this beauty to some seemed more like disrespect to him. She had seemingly challenged his unwritten law of the colorless formality. She had acted rebelliously and broken all tradition by dawning on that kimono of lilac and blue. It was a challenge and mockery of his pride, through his eyes, and she knew he saw it this way. And deep done, in the small, devilish side of her that she hid and kept under control so well, she knew she had, and she wasn't ashamed. That small secret kitten that rumbled quietly, that never disturbed her outside thoughts and appearance, was happy to see his astonished face, overwhelmed at the thought that his daughter had challenged him. What's more, she knew he would not punish her; not here and now, at least. No, his pride would not allow so many guests to witness. He would wait, as would she.

Hinata turned, as quickly as she had arrived and faded into the crowd. Noise picked up once more as she hastily made her way to the shadows, ready to hide. Neji, stunned at the silent ordeal that had just occurred, had fallen behind in his rush to catch up. Hinata left Neji and Tenten, dazed in the crowd of color and chatter.

Hinata had almost reached the shadowy sidelines when a hand reached out and grasped her arm. Frightened, she turned to see who dared, but relaxed at the familiar face; Lady Temari.

"Hinata-san, you look beautiful!"

Where other princesses would have had the more polite greeting approach, Temari easily spoke her mind and, frankly, Hinata was thankful for that.

"A-arigato, Lady Temari. H-how is Sir Kankuro a-and King Gaara?"

Temari smiled brightly, happy at the chance to hold a conversation.

"Please, Hinata-san, Temari is fine; the whole _Lady _makes me sound so old," Hinata blushed, slightly embarrassed at her mistake, but Temari quickly brushed past it. "Kankuro found himself a group of native knights to exchange war stories and such with. Gaara is about here somewhere, hopefully taking my advice and dancing with _someone_," Hinata did not catch what Temari mumbled next, "but I'm almost positive he is just standing stoically as ever." Temari sighed, starring off distantly, and then turned her attention back to Hinata.

"You know, I'm quite envious of your kimono! It's gorgeous! Who made it?"

Hinata blushed, muttering out her maiden's name, Tenten. It was then Hinata noticed Temari's own _creative_ approach to the kimono. Her kimono did not start until the shoulders, and ended at the thighs, which was practically unheard of by most heiresses, including Hinata. It was, of course, a rustic red with a black obi that loosely tied behind and fell to the floor, thin like silk. The ferret, which still remained a mystery to Hinata as to whether it was dead or alive, slung once more over her shoulder, and Temari held a light drink in her hand. Instead of the traditional zuri, she merely wore high-heeled shoes that looked like they could kill, and Hinata did not let that thought leave her mind. The wicked side of Hinata smirked, imagining what her father would have thought about her had she taken _that_ approach to her formal attire.

Hinata listened a little longer to minor updates, imputing here and there. They spoke for a few moments, mostly of the culture and climate of the two neighboring kingdoms, until Temari was suddenly called over by a group of ladies, dressed respectively. Hinata did not want to be disrespectful, but knew the conversation would be awkward had she joined Temari. Certainly the other court mistresses would apply fake smiles that clearly showed discomfort, and Hinata would be left pretending not to notice the envy and inferior vibes that were given off by the maidens.

Hinata excused herself, weaved her way through the crowds. She caught a quick glance of her father, and much to her distaste, he did not neglect to send an icy stare in return, catching her eyes. Her heart froze, her eyes shutting, and her body turned. There it was; what she had feared the most. The rejection of her in her father's eyes, so clear that she knew it without him even saying a word.

Hinata felt small tears slowly sting her eyes. She had promised not to cry, but this was too much. The overwhelming feeling of disappointment form her father, and the constant stares mixed with the hidden messages of jealousy and unpleasantness that hid behind every phony smile, was all just _too much._ Her pace quickened, until a strong hand that is stopped her. She thrust her body around so quickly, her kimono and hair swooshing with her shocked face. Her eyes immediately calmed as she came face to face with a handsome, charming smile.

"May I have a dance, Lady?"

Hinata watched through glistening eyes of astonishment as the young man offered his free hand, awaiting her own to take it. His hair was short and spiky, blonde and uncombed. His eyes were a deep blue, the exact same shade she often fantasized her own prince to have. His cheeks bore odd scratches, resembling whiskers, possibly from birth or hard training or other. His skin was darker than hers by a few shades, but her being so pale it was no wonder he was darker. He was taller than her, then again most were since she was so small, by about half a head or more. He was dressed in formal clothing of black, with hints of orange in his attire as well.

He was so kind and entrancing, she couldn't refuse, and she willingly placed her fragile hand in his rougher, larger one, letting him glide her to the center of the room to dance.

The music was neither slow nor fast; perfect, in her words. The other figures and couples around her disappeared in her vision as their dance began. He smiled friendly at her, laughing slightly yet still politely at her bewildered look, which she quickly replaced with a genuine smile.

"You dance beautifully," He commented half way through the dance, throwing her out of her deep thoughts.

"A-a-arigato, s-sir," She nervously stumbled out, blushing madly. He laughed at this, but once more a soft laugh, trying not to offend her. It was then she realized she had no idea who he was. Obviously he had identified her as, if not Hinata Hyuuga the eldest, a member of the Hyuuga clan, pointed out by her greeting of the host, also known as her father. She summoned up courage through her disorientation and finally managed a question.

"E-excuse me, um, s-sir, but, m-may I ask w-whom it is I d-dance with?"

The man stopped abruptly, his eyes widening. For a moment, she felt like her words had offended him, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hands, which were covered by her sode.

"How rude of me," he spoke, much to her relief, for if he was angry at all, it was more at himself than her.

"I," he said, bowing in an attempt to redeem himself, "am Prince Naruto, hailing from Konoha."

Hinata suppressed a gasp. Konoha was without doubt the largest kingdom, with successful treaties and trade routes throughout the large land. Supported by its agricultural achievements, Konoha was a powerful nation; the last you would want to mess with, followed closely by Suna.

Hinata, still too shocked to speak, barely noticed as he once more slid his hand to her waist, the other closing around her hand and lifting it to her shoulder, preparing to pick up the dance from where they had left off. Quickly, she realized this, and her feet moved accordingly.

To Hinata, the dance had lasted an eternity, like gliding on clouds, and at the same time, not long enough. It ended as soon as it had begun, and Hinata found herself longing for it to continue. Naruto bowed, smiling brightly.

"Thank you for the dance. It was breathtaking, if I might add," he said. His voice had a childish ring to it, which pleased Hinata to a point she herself didn't understand. She couldn't quite grasp it, but something about him made her attracted to him. Whether it lied in his confident smile or childish voice, there was something in him she rarely saw; possibly the twinkle in his eye when he said farewell once again and turned to leave.

Hinata stood silent and paralyzed for a few more moments before realizing she was in others' ways as they tried to dance. Confused and feeling light-headed, she resorted to the courtyard, unable to stand the sudden wave of heat that increasingly was overcoming her. Her feet made quick work to take her into the foyer, which was now being crowded by couples who had intentionally tried to escape the crammed ballroom, and then outside, to the white stone courtyard full of colorful carriages that seemed much darker in the night light.

She did not stop there, however, and continued to the side of the courtyard, where a small bench and white, dead tree were present. Why the tree still stood being dead after so many years before Hinata was even born, was beyond her. But, this tree, nonetheless, was a comforting sanctuary to gather thoughts, and it was exactly what she needed right now.

* * *

Kiba grunted. It was bad enough they had arrived early, but waiting patiently for this ball to end was even worse. Kiba groaned as he noticed some fair ladies following, no, stalking Sasuke as he wandered about. Kiba wouldn't admit it, but he was jealous. Sasuke had always been the center of every lady's heart back in Konoha, and this ball was Kiba's first and, probably last, chance to catch a girl's eye before Sasuke. However, it seemed like every girl had fallen for the dark, surreptitious knight.

Kiba looked over, raising a brow as Naruto came strolling over, a half-drunken smile on his face. Naruto then slouched beside Kiba, his awkward smile starring off towards the dancing ladies.

"What's with you?" Kiba asked, trying to hide his irritation but doing a poor job at it.

"Hm?" Naruto asked, pretending to not have heard him.

Kiba's unpleased look quickly snapped the answer out of him.

"I've just been dancing. Some swell woman out there, if you give them a chance," Naruto added, nudging his friend who only shook him off, grunting in the process. Naruto frowned, then quickly smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

"I met one stunning dancer; moved like an angel, she did."

Kiba scoffed.

"I'm sure nothing like Sakura, though, eh?"

This shut Naruto up as his smile faded and he turned from Kiba, his bottom lip slightly pouting. Kiba, realizing how low his comment had hit, quickly smiled, trying to make up for it.

"You know, forget it. Enjoy yourself; hey, you never know, one of these snobby, stuck-up hags just might be your future wife!"

With that, Kiba started to stroll away. Naruto, in both his own defense and the ladies who were unaware of the sudden insult, shouted back in retort, "or yours!"

Kiba held back a snort. _I feel sorry for that girl,_ he thought, strolling from the courtroom to refresh himself with the night air.

Kiba's hands rested in a loose bundle of his tunic. It was no wear near as fancy as the royal kimonos the true nobles wore around him, but it suited him and, as he had concluded, he never looked good in kimonos anyway. His feet dragged, kicking up rocks and white dust in the stone garden and he grudgingly mucked through it, his onyx boots turning grey with the new coat of soot added.

He let a long sigh escape his lips, which were cracking at the cold. Though it wasn't even winter, when you were so high up that clouds looked reachable from certain windows, it was bound to get slightly over nippy. It was now that he regretted not wearing the long sleeved, heavy kimono like the other guests. Apparently, they had been pre-warned of the weather, and he had somehow been left out.

His head fell back to his neck in an attempt to warm it. His eyes shifted nervously, his lips squirming up in discomfort as he thought how miserable he both looked and felt. It was times like this he seriously was envious of both Naruto and Sasuke, and those were rare occasions. Throughout his childhood, Kiba had accepted the fact he would never be as high in standings and politics as Naruto, so that hadn't conflicted with their friendship.

And Kiba had always taught himself to be above Sasuke, not even wanting to be on the same level as that pretty-boy. He could care less of the attention and praise Sasuke received because of his superior skills; it just meant he had to become better than him. However, when it came to the opposite sex, well…Kiba let himself fall to the green level of envy, if just for a moment.

As Kiba dwindled in self-pity, he found himself leaving the maze of carriages that he had immediately plunged himself into, and as he lifted his head, he found his feet had stopped. And he knew exactly why. Standing a few yards away, or rather sitting, on a bench under, what looked like, a dead tree was, in Kiba's mind which was half-in-fantasy land, an angel. Yes, to Kiba, the figure under the tree was an angel.

It wasn't even just because he had never seen a blue kimono with purple, no, lilac flowers, printed perfectly upon it and sewed so flawlessly. It wasn't just because her skin was so pale that she gave off the ethereal glow that he swore only angels possessed, nor was it her long, dark hair that was silk, draped up into complicated buns. Though her back was turned, he still got a glance of her slender, pale hands as they lifted up, the sleeves of the kimono falling back, and revealing them as she reached at a low branch from the tree that loomed over her.

Kiba usually kept a cool head when it came to women, but this certain female…Something about her took away breath and common sense, and he found his mind melting in wonder. It wasn't like him to do so, either, and that's what surprised him the most. He didn't seem himself at that moment, but for that single moment, he could care less. Now, that _did _seem like him.

It was at this moment he realized that his feet had dragged him silently behind her. Closer up, he saw she was rather small; delicate, actually, was the better word to use. She was thinner, too, even through the kimono that hid her curves that he, being an expert or so claiming as one, could tell she possessed. He had little control over his body as a hand reached slowly out, reaching for her shoulder. However, his mouth was quicker.

"Excuse me?"

In alarm, the girl got up. No, she jumped up. Her body flew up and she landed, stumbling slightly, a foot or two away from her original position. In all her shock, and due to her slight stumble, she tripped, losing her balance. Luckily, Kiba had quick reactions, even though he had no idea what he was doing, and caught her. His arms wrapped gently around her elbows, propping her up against his torso as she flexibly bent upward, pushing off him to regain balance. And that was when she turned, her wide eyes gazing on the face of both her stalker and savior.

Kiba was speechless, unaware of the growing, half-crooked smile that now rested on his face as he gazed, wide eyed, at the girl before him. He merely glimpsed over her body, which was beautifully hidden beneath the brilliant kimono, and saw she was, as suspected, _developed. _However, his eyes only lingered for a moment, and then met with her own heart-shaped face. Her nose was small, almost button-like. Her lips were thin, but not invisible, with the glossy touch of light pink. Her hair was shinier the closer he was, and her bangs fell over her forehead. However, they cut off before her eyes, and what a set those orbs were! White, crystal-like, with not impure pupils to ruin their beauty. It was like looking at two identical moons, but even more striking than the moon without those dark craters.

Kiba had seen similar eyes in the ballroom, but none compared to the kindness and gentle emotion that rimed this girl's. Not to mention, he hadn't been so close to any other's eyes like her. However, disappointment flooded over him as the kindness was replaced with utter fear; she was afraid, and naturally, the source of her fear was, as suspected, him.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you," Kiba blurted out, trying to make up for his mistakes. The sincerity showed in his voice, for her fear faded away, and he noticed she let out a breath that he had neglected to see she had been holding.

"I'm Sir Kiba, from Konoha, by the way," He added, hoping the more pleasant he sounded, the calmer she would become. This theory was correct, for his introduction and tone seemed to work well as her small frown settled into a shy smile; barely a smile, but a smile none the less.

"I-I'm…"

* * *

She stopped, much to his dismay. Even her voice sounded like a sweet angel.

Hinata froze. Her eyes were lost in the odd knight's. At first, they seemed evil, with their beastly charm. However, they softened and his voice quickly blurted out an apology. She felt the hair along the back of her neck settle, along with the goose bumps. Her heart fell back into place, quickly beginning its normal beating after skipping several beats. Her eyes examined, in one quick glance, the rest of him.

He was taller than her, like everyone, but shorted than Sir Kankuro. His hair, a medium brunette, was messy and uncombed, no doubt from the wind. His skin was tanned, and rough; and muscular. What attracted her attention the most; however, were the strange markings of his cheeks. Not the fact that they were shaped like 'fangs', nor the idea, which was shared with Kankuro, of painting upon one's face. It was the color that intrigued her the most. Red; life.

He stated his name, in an obvious attempt to calm her, and seeing the effort he was putting forth, she quickly lightened up, reassuring her body. When she realized he was expecting her own name, she tried to respond, "I'm…"

But, a thought crossed her mind. She had always wondered what it would be like to hold a normal conversation, without someone treating her as pure royalty. This knight apparently did not recognize her as the Hyuuga eldest daughter, for most knights that had common sense, with the exception of Sir Kankuro, would have stayed their distance from out-of-reach territory, as Hinata sadly concluded. She knew it was slightly selfish, and cruel on her behalf to mess with such a polite young man, but she needed to know. She needed to know what it was like. Selfish, yes, but she was desperate.

As her mind racked for a name, and she found herself battling whether to lie or not, he continued to stare, slightly baffled at her long pause. She realized this was her last chance, and if she waited any longer, he might get suspicious. Then again, this wasn't at all like her, and she wanted to slap herself for having such thoughts of deceit. Finally, she blurted out that first thing that came to her mind, truth or not.

"I-I'm Hinata!"

He continued to stare. She then realized he _still _did not recognize. _The opportunity is still open, _she thought, knowing it wasn't too late to deceive the unlucky knight into believing she wasn't royalty. However, she did not listen, pushing this thought out of her mind and worries. He smiled, and his next words surprised her.

"Hinata's a beautiful name."

She was stunned, unable to reply. She blushed furiously, and when he realized what had left his mouth, he did too. An awkward silence, only stirred by the light wind and his own hand ruffling through his hair, was finally broken as he attempted small talk.

"So, you're from here?"

* * *

He wanted to take his own sword and stab it through him. He had finally found a _beautiful_ girl who wasn't all over Sasuke or anyone as far as he could tell, and he was ruining his only chance. He winced inwardly, knowing how stupid he sounded. However, his heart lifted as she replied, softly at first, to his question.

"H-hai. I-I'm f-from here."

She said no more, not that it mattered to him. He smiled; he was glad to have an audience that would listen to _him_. His next action slightly startled her, but he barely noticed as he lightly tugged her down beside him on the bench, jumping immediately into conversation.

He started out slow, but after a minute or two, he noticed how into the conversation she was, holding onto every word. He started talking about Konoha, then slowly led to daily duties as a knight, and finally as a guard to Prince Naruto. She seemed most interested in that, for it was one of the rare times she interrupted with a small question or comment. She clung to every word, her eyes wide with wonder. He picked up speed, soon using hand movements to emphasize his stories.

Before he knew it, it had been almost an hour.

Finally, he felt the aftermath of the strain on his throat, his voice slightly sore. Luckily, she took over, stuttering out small, quick sentences about Hyuuga. She gave little details, leaving much open for his own imagination to fill, but he didn't mind. He barely even heard her words; he was too absorbed in just the sound of her saintly voice.

It took him a few moments to realize she had gone silent, his own fantasies drifting him off. A cold, light hand pressed itself against his own, causing his body to freeze. He turned, realizing her worried face was starring into his own.

"I-I have t-to go. Th-thank you, f-for e-everything."

She then rose, turning back to the castle, leaving a baffled Kiba behind. Out of quick impulse, he jumped up, his hand reaching out.

"Wait!"

She froze, turning, and he lost his words in her eyes, even though they were more distant now than earlier. He still, however, found comfort in them.

"Uh, I mean…it was nice, er…"

His hand connected with the back of his head, rubbing it hard as he searched for the right words. He continued to mumble, trying to sum up the night in short words.

"It was good, er, talking to you. Um, d-do you think we can do it again, some time?"

_Baka_, he heard ring loudly in his mind. This wasn't something you asked a girl of her standings…come to think of it, what were her standings? Was she a court mistress, or perhaps a duchess? Or…?

Much to his shock, and pleasure, she smiled.

"Of course! W-we're friends, after all, aren't w-we, Sir Kiba?"

His heart fluttered; her smile was like a precious jewel.

"Kiba-kun."

She looked at him quizzically. When she said nothing, he continued.

"Sir Kiba is…formal. I never cared much for it. Just call me Kiba-kun," at seeing her face, he quickly added, "or Kiba."

"Alright then…Kiba-kun," she said, blushing with a thin smile plastered on her face.

Then it sunk in; friends. His heart dropped. He had felt something click, undeniably. However, she obviously didn't see the same way he did. But, friend was a start. Besides, the probability they met again was slim; very. However, he continued to pretend to smile, and she returned it, blushing.

"Hai." Turning her back, she glided back up marble stairs. Kiba was left silent, standing still as he watched the angel walk away, possibly forever.

"R-right," he breathed, but she didn't here. His voice was too taken away to give a proper good bye to the now fading figure of his supposed angel.

* * *

Kiba-kun; he sounded like Neji-niisan, she thought, the way he preferred a less formal name. She never understood why knights never preferred their true titles that took those years to obtain. What she didn't know was it was her. Her innocence and the juvenile air about her that made knights feel so comfortable around her and awkward when she used formal titles He had talked and treated her equally, and they had held a normal, friendly conversation. She had been nervous at first, but had slowly warmed up to him. She was glad to have befriended him, though she know things might have been different had she spoke the truth, informing him she was Hinata _Hyuuga. _

However, she had missed the sparks like she had seen with Naruto. Now, if _he_ would have spent so much time with her…

Her mind drifted off, and her feet led her past the foyer and ball room up to her tower, the air-headed feeling returning as thoughts of Naruto clouded her mind. At the top, she realized she had missed her opportunity to greet her newly found friends from Suna. They would be slightly disappointed, but she still had the farewell ceremony tomorrow to attend, and she would apologize to them there.

She sprinted down her corridor, as fast as the kimono would let her, which wasn't very. She slammed the door and hastily slid the kimono off of her. She pulled the pins and beads and flowers from her hair, letting it freely fall and flow down her back. Finally, in just her slip kimono, she crashed on her bed, curling up. But, right now, her mind was being mobbed by images of that charming, blonde prince. He was the ideal image of her dream husband, and she found her heart fluttering at thoughts of him. These images guided her to an early sleep.

* * *

Kiba was very different re-entering the ball than he was when he had trudged out earlier. He quickly found Naruto, slightly slurred and most likely a bit drunk, and easily found a servant to guide him to the guest courters set up for the guests would attend the farewell ceremony the next day, which was held during a noon time feast. It was an old tradition many countries and nobles had neglected, but it wasn't surprising the Hyuuga's would still follow it.

Naruto immediately crashed on the canopy provided, naturally made of white satin sheets, but Kiba found sleep harder to come across as he relaxed on a curved futon. His mind kept reverting back to Hinata, who had caught his attention. She continued to linger in his mind, her beautiful eyes blocking anything else. He smiled crookedly, imagining himself courting her. He hoped she would be at the ceremony tomorrow; that way, he might be able to say a proper farewell. He was determined to convert her eyes towards him. Where she only saw him as a friend, he had gone beyond. He found himself falling in love, despite all he had ever been taught or told himself.

Her touch, her beauty, her voice; all of these qualities had captivated him. He completely forgot all the warnings his knight masters had ever told him about women, and all his prejudices about the court ladies being raised spoiled and snotty. No, this girl was different. She was humble, and kind, and shy; she really was an _angel_. And Kiba was determined to make her _his_ angel, as selfish as he sounded. Her modest face eventually brought sleep to him, and his peaceful dreams were filled with images of her, his subconscious mind no different than his quick-thinking conscious mind.

He self-conceitedly repeated those words over and over in his mind, gracing his face with a sly smile.

_"Kiba-kun…"_

* * *

**A/N: Hopet hat was alright! Don't worry, I'm maknig up for the Sand sibs short appearance, or lack there of, in the next chapters (they play a pretty important role in the story, so to all Sand sibs fans that feel offended in their little mention, Im' sorry but the chapter jsut dragged out too long for their suppsoed scene) On that same note, to all Neji and Tetnen fans that got upset when those two were knida...dumped...in the chapter, they _also_ will reappear with larger aprt in next chapter and continue to be alrge asset to plot throughout story; so, to thsoe fans who wanted mroe of them ,don't worry; they make a comeback...**

**Sorry if my slight fluff was not up to standards; I'm new-ish to fluff, and it gets, er, fluffi-er later. I tried to capture and describe the emotions and thoguhts running through people, trying to make it as clear as possible, but i mgiht have fallen short of my goal; I hope you all udnerstand each character's inner conflicts and emotions well enoguh, and if not, drop a review and I'll try to respond.**

**BTW- REVIEWS! OMG, I LOVE YOU ALL! I'm so glad for all of your reviews, seriosuly! Soem of the comments you guys leave actually, sadly, point out things I hadn't even considered, and that makes me, sadly, feel like an idiot, but I lvoe it and please continue catchnig my msitakes! **

**I hope this chapter was enjoyable and that readers continue to like this story; sorry if it was below expectations...Comments and reviews, flames and critiques; I lvoe them all, and would appreciate if you left one behind!**

**Vocab(I mgiht be wrong, so correct me if I am)-**

**Zuri- formal kimono shoes**

**Sode- sleeves**

**Obi-sash**

**Han- collar and Han-eri- collar fold (right-alive, left-dead)**

**In China (I think; once again, correct me if Im' wrong) white is a death color, and tradtitionally worn during funerals (er) and red is the traditional color of life/love- worn at weddings, traditionally.**

**Okay, my A/N is super long...please R&R!!! Thanks!(Sorry:for the uberly-long A/N that is...)**


	4. Green

**Quick Note: KIYA!!! **OMG, it's been so lnog! I am SOOOOO SORRY! I have no excuses, and I feel horrible maknig you all wait so long! This chapter was really hard to write (It just was really difficult-more in A/N) but I finally got it! I have to thank PersainLady; your review made me realize, "Holy crap, I REALLY need to type the next chapter!" Of course, I have to also thank every other reviewer, because thanks to you guys I realized, 'Hey, people are reading this! OMG, thank you!"

Without any mroe delay, seeing as this is like my lnogest chapter despite it's crappiness, here's the lnog awaited (and pathetic) chapter! Once again, sorry!

**Disclaimer-(forgot this in last chapter) NO!!!**

**Green**

Hinata awoke early that morning, before most servants. The sun was barely across the gloomy horizon, and the clouds were cluttered to block even further the little light that made its way to the Hyuuga kingdom. Hinata slipped on one of her informal white kimonos and light slippers, pure white except for the dusty bottom that shifted quietly along the floor as she strolled from her room, through the corridor, and down the spiral stairs.

Hinata clasped her hands in a hug to try and warm herself, the cold air still lingering in the castle from the previous night, untouched by the warmer air that would settle in around noon. She looked both ways as she crossed the giant foyer, checking to make sure no one was up at this hour. Concluding that she was all alone, she squeaked open the giant front doors and slipped outside, careful not to open it too wide or else others make awaken to the loud crack.

Hinata closed the distance between herself and her favorite, and only, tree in the courtyard. However, once she reached the tree, she did not stop. She continued forward, edging closer and closer to the cliff's drop. The courtyard was only so far wide before reaching the bridge, and the entire castle was surrounded by a three foot wall of white stone. Hinata was usually too scared to brave the adventure so close to the edge, but this morning she felt up to the challenge.

Once at the wall, she put her fear behind her and sat upon it, first with her back twisted to look behind her as her feet settled firmly on the ground, but then she turned and let her dainty slippers dangle off the edge. One small slip and she would be plummeting down hundreds of feet to her watery doom. But, with her bottom planted safely on the two foot width of the stone wall, she was confident that wouldn't happen on accident.

However…

Hinata leaned her face forward, starring at the tiny dots that bobbed in the mist-covered waters below. Rarely had she ventured out so far, and yet, when she did, she couldn't help but wonder…

Her imagination took her beyond and she saw and _felt_ herself slipping off the wall, just scooting a few inches forward and dropping. She saw the clouds and wind rushing near her face, and then in an instant above her. She could _see_ the blurs of stone walls beside her, too smooth to grasp to for safety. And every passing millisecond, as the distance shrank, she saw the waters coming nearer and nearer and…

"Hinata-sama?"

Hinata's neck hairs instantly raised, her arms flinging defensively at her side. She nearly leapt, almost falling off the wall, as her imagination shattered and reality settled once more in her eyes. Turning, her hand grasping her heart in an attempt to settle it, she let out a small gasp of relief.

"Neji-niisan, you scared me!"

Neji's face was lined with worry, obviously fretting why his cousin and superior was freely sitting so close to death.

"Hinata-sama, are you alright?"

Hinata smiled, trying to erase all signs of doubt and despair in her face.

"Yes, of course. Um, i-is there a reason y-you came for me?" Hinata asked, trying to veer from the conversation altogether and turn the spotlight and questioning to him.

"Yes, actually," He said, the suspicion still visible in his voice as he slowly turned, Hinata quickly following.

"Tenten asked me to fetch you for preparations. The _Saraba _Ceremony."

Hinata's heart was slowing to a reasonable pace, her breath returning. The _Saraba _Ceremony, or farewell ceremony, was the title of the traditional ritual that was one of the Hyuuga's proudest. A feast would be held, with light entertainment, and as the guest leave, the Royal family would present parting gifts of wreath crowns for luck and a safe journey. The ceremony was known for more than that, however, for its kimonos, though simple and white, took much preparation, along with the extremity of pale make-up applied to the family for presentation. If it were not for its lack of color, Hinata would assume the ceremony's arrangements were almost too complicated for a Hyuuga. Hinata even knew, from small experience at a young age, that her father disapproved of this part of the tradition; but, it being a sacred tradition, he held no power against it and its customs.

"Hinata?"

Hinata snapped back to the present, her mind having drifted off again, to her worried-looking cousin. She quickly bowed in apology, but he ignored her, his own way of saying, "Forget it."

Silence followed for a few steps, until Hinata noticed the sun, which was much higher than when she had left.

"Neji-niisan, what time is it exactly?"

Neji looked at her quizzically, assuming that was common knowledge.

"About an hour till noontime, why?"

"N-n-noon? How l-l-long have I-I b-b-been s-s-sitting t-there," She asked, referring to the spot on the wall.

Neji did not reply, unable to answer without the knowledge of when she arrived. Hinata let her own question be answered by silence, her inside frantically going through possible reasons as to why her seconds of imagination turned into hours of dreaming.

Her thoughts were broken when Neji decided to change the subject, to one she would have rather avoided.

"How was the ball last night? Tenten-cha-," Neji stopped himself, earning an odd look from Hinata that, well, wasn't very Hinata. He cleared his throat, restarting in a more refined manner, and continued as though nothing had happened.

"Maiden Tenten and I lost you and missed your leave. We searched for awhile until-"

"Did you two dance?"

Neji halted, halfway through the courtyard, at Hinata's blunt question, which even she was slightly startled she had blurted out.

"W-well, yes, b-but that's not the point! The point is-"

"Do you like her?"

It was that moment that Hinata felt a growing sensation, something wicked that stayed dormant within her; her more teasing and adventuress side. Normally, she would disapprove of these actions. But, to see the look of Neji's flushed scarlet face and growing heat that extract from his body was, in small terms, priceless.

"H-Hinata-sama, I am in no way obligated to answer these…these _questions _of my relationship w-with Tenten a-and…"

"What about me?"

Hinata held back her tiny giggles as Tenten joined the two in the courtyard, her light kimono flowing softly as she walked gracefully yet quickly to the two. Neji swallowed, attempting to calm his nerves as Tenten gave him an awkward look. Hinata covered her mouth, ignoring Tenten's persistent questioning to what was so funny and what Neji was referring to that involved her. After several moments of calming, the Hyuuga members were settled enough to hold a normal conversation with Tenten.

"What brings you here, Tenten?" Hinata noticed Neji did not add the -chan suffix, though could easily see his lips were about to form the word. "Do you not trust me to bring back Hinata-sama in one piece or something?"

Tenten gave him a light scowl, but answered none the less.

"Actually, I came to get you, Neji. Your uncle, Lord Hiashi, beckons for you on an important matter. He also," Tenten added, turning to face Hinata, "sends his regards to his daughters, claiming he won't be able to attend the ceremony this noon. He does, however, hold high confidence it shall run smoothly in the command of his household."

Hinata made certain to hold back her look of disappointment in her father's words, which vaguely used 'daughters' and 'household', which showed his disappointment in Hinata and his mistrust in her abilities, or so she saw it.

Hinata did, however, fake a smile, one of her best skills, and bowed in gratitude to Tenten.

"I shall make him proud, "Hinata stated, notable adding the 'I' to prove her determination to keep her promise. Tenten and Neji both smiled, easily catching the growing strength within the smaller girl. Her confidence, barely noticeable, was growing, none the less.

"Very well then; Neji, Lord Hiashi awaits." With that, Neji took his leave, and Tenten once more turned proudly upon Hinata.

"Well then, shall we prepare for the _Saraba _Ceremony?"

With that, the two strolled back to the castle, hurriedly preparing for the intricate and, unbeknownst, interesting ceremony.

* * *

Kiba yawned, stretching a massive stretch to rival that of his canine companion. He slowly and lazily opened one eye, twisted it in all directions to observe his surroundings, and then opened the other, rubbing it with his fist. As he sat up, he collided with something large, white, and fluffy as it crashed on top of him, sending him flying from his pleasant make-shift bed to the stone-cold floor. 

"Ack-Akamaru! One of these days, I swear I'll-" He never finished, his hands clasping around, not his large dog, but a simple pillow.

Sasuke, who stood casually in the doorframe of the guest chambers that Kiba had slept within, merely chuckled, turning as he left the dog-knight in anger, fuming on the floor.

"For your information,"

"I could care less. Just hurry up and dress, so we can head to this festival that Naruto is bent on attending. The sooner we attend, the faster we can head home."

Sasuke left, but not without receiving a silent, and discourteous, hand single at the back from Kiba. Gratefully, for both, it went unnoticed. Kiba sighed, turning to the pillow he now had cuddled within him. He frowned.

"Bastard…"

Then, a soothing thought overcame him. What exactly awoken this dream, Kiba had little interest in, but as a figure floated into his mind, he found his mind melting, a stupid smile forming on his lips; Hinata. It possibly was the pillow, smelling strongly like her scent, though nothing, he felt, would ever reach that potential. Or perhaps, just a reflex to his fuming over Sasuke, a reaction his body had attempted to calm him. Whichever reason, he didn't care.

Her voice, image, and smell overwhelmed him. His eyes closed, his head falling upon the pillow, and a light sleep overcoming him. He would have thoroughly enjoyed that morning fantasy, had it not been for the foot that collided with his gut. As Kiba curled in defense, coughing up what he was sure last night's dinner, an irritated Sasuke merely walked away.

"I thought I told you to hurry up and get cleaned up at one point, _Baka_!"

Kiba spat in his general direction, his eyes too watered to clearly pinpoint the location of the black knight.

"I thought I told you to die at one point," Kiba mumbled back, once again missing Sasuke's attention.

Kiba moaned, trying to catch the now fading image of his dream angel. However, Sasuke's rude awakenings, both of them, made it nearly impossible. Kiba sighed, vowing to himself to one day punch Sasuke in payback.

* * *

Hinata made an attempt, and succeeded, to be one of the first at the feast, greeting the earlier guests until her sister, Hanabi, arrived to replace her. 

"Hanabi-chan, thank you, and, um…w-where were you last night? I didn't see you at the ball."

Hanabi smiled up to her sister.

"I'm afraid I was feeling under the weather," she giggled, scratching her head. "I did not feel up to it, sorry!"

Hinata bid her farewell, then made her way to the front of the feast table, waiting as guest seated themselves, as was proper, before sitting down herself. To her right sat Hanabi. But before Hinata could further question her sister, Hanabi quickly engaged conversation with the guest beside her. Hinata, slightly disappointed, turned to the left, the empty throne-like chair that was hollow, usually filled by her father. Across from her was Neji's rightful spot, being one of the head knights and a proud member of the lower branches of Hyuuga. That seat, too, was empty.

Hinata, quiet and depressed at the lack of company, sighed, looking down at her lap, wishing that time would speed up and the feast would end quickly. Suddenly, a hand tapped her shoulder, causing her to turn quickly.

"Oh, it's you!"

* * *

A knock stirred Hiashi's thinking, and he quickly dropped his papers. 

"Hm? Oh, yes, come in."

The door opened, and in slid Neji, an expressionless face greeting the lord.

"Ah, Sir Neji, you made quick time in finding me, good. Now, I shall waste none of your time, and that of my own, and begin this discussion quickly."

"Discussion, sir?" Neji asked quizzically.

"Yes, and it concerns my daughter; no sense in hiding or droning this matter any longer than necessary."

Neji gulped, trying to hide it though. Instantly, he thought of Hinata, and possibly the 'matter' was punishment, for which Neji assumed the challenging number she pulled the previous night, involving a non-traditional kimono that, unbeknownst to her, _he_ had suggested to Tenten. Neji quickly racked his brain, trying to think of a way to save, or at least sever, the discipline Hinata's father had in mind for her. His best choice, at the moment, was playing dumb.

"Hanabi-sama, sir?"

"No, no, Neji, you know very well which daughter. I am old, but my eyes do not deceive me of your fear," He said coldly, snapping each word as though Neji were a mere child whose hand had been caught in the cookie jar. Neji began forming a plan B, but Hiashi was several steps ahead already of him.

"I mean to speak of her standing in this house."

Neji braced himself, already seeing the words of 'banishment' forming on Hiashi's mind, already thinking of a counter to defend against.

"Recent threats have appeared, disturbing me greatly," Neji, a bit startled at Hiashi's awkward approach to an already knowing fate, merely watched, trying to understand as the cold man spoke words that, to Neji, made little sense. "Therefore, for my daughter's safety, and my own sanity at these constant abominable threats, I have decided to take matters into my own hand, by dismissing her."

Neji's heart froze; dismiss?

"For a small time, I mean to…dispatch…her services. A, as you would say it, break, or a…"

Neji, his mind overcoming these words, stumbled out, "Vacation?"

Hiashi was silent, his eyes closed as he visibly tried to overcome his much dislike of the vulgar, in his opinion, word. "Yes, a…vacation. I mean for her to be out of harm's way, until you, and several other knights of choosing, can demolish these threats that have come to my attention."

Neji began to calm, the sweat on his back evaporating as a wave of relief went over him. Hiashi meant in no way to banish Hinata; simply send her off to relax as certain matters were taken care of. Then, it hit Neji.

"Exactly what _matter _is there that must be taken care of in her leave?"

* * *

"Ah, Hinata-sama, you look as youthful as ever!" 

Hinata giggled, covering her mouth and blushing, flattered, as Sir Lee offered his hand to her. She took it, bowing, and he then sat himself across from her, in Neji's designated seat. Hinata immediately held out her hand to stop him, hoping to warn him that if he were caught he might be punished, but he held out a hand in defense, smiling in a way to clearly say, "I'm only here for a moment, do not fear."

"S-so, what b-brings you here? M-most knights h-have the day off, r-right?"

Lee nodded.

"I suppose Neji-kun told you."

Hinata nodded in return.

"I see. I was hoping to discuss something with him; have you by chance seen him?"

Hinata shook her head.

"He left to speak with my father. I've yet to see him, however. I'm sure he'll turn up soon, though."

Lee smiled, rising to leave.

"Of course. Now, malady, if my eyes do not deceive, I would suppose you are quite lonely. You should mingle more," He said, smiling and giving a striking pose that Hinata had to hold back giggles at. She nodded, thanking him, as he strolled away to an empty seat by several ladies and gentlemen, which Hinata immediately noticed all looked slightly repelled as Lee leapt into the conversation, his energetic voice easily scaring those listening.

The feast went by rather quickly, otherwise. Hinata poked at the bland, tasteless food presented to her, her mouth forming a displeased look that she hid with a tilted head and hand. Not that anyone noticed her, too involved in their own conversations. Hanabi only turned to check on her sister twice the entire feast, otherwise continuing her own conversation. Hinata could only stare at the table decorations before her, simple stones carved into white symbols. A sigh quietly escaped her lips, and she felt tired as sleep slowly crept up her back.

Hinata almost fell asleep there, if it were not the small shake on her shoulder. She snapped her eyes open, turning to meet Hanabi.

"Hinata-sama, it's time to see the guests off."

"I-Is fa-er, Hiashi-sama back yet?"

Hanabi shook his head. Hinata pouted slightly, praying silently she would not have to be the one to conduct the farewell, but seeing as the head of the clan was absent, and she would very well be that person. Hinata rose, following Hanabi past the long tables set out for the guest, who patiently, most still involved in conversation and too delved into such to notice the heiress walking along them, until she reached the end of the feasting table, which she concluded was ridiculously long.

"U-um, excuse m-me?"

Hinata's weak voice did not carry at all. Hanabi noticed this, and though she knew it would not change after multiply attempts, nonetheless she gave her sister an encouraging thumbs up.

"E-excuse me?"

Slightly louder, but still no one caught on.

"E-excuse m-"

"ORDER!"

Hinata turned with shock, as did the entire court, towards Hanabi, who had grown impatient. She smiled, bowing slightly to inform her sister to take control. Hinata took a deep breath, turning to face the tens of eyes staring at her. The pressure sent her face into a flurry of red, the heat rising in her body and her words at a complete loss.

Hinata cleared her throat, her fingers forming a bad habit of hers as they twiddled before her face, her eyes darting to focus on anything but the faces before her.

"T-thank you f-for all coming, um, w-we all h-hope y-you h-h-have a g-good, eh…"

Hinata's eyes fluttered to the throne that should have occupied her father; however, it did not. She then latched them onto the knight's table; Neji was missing as she scanned it. This strange event seemed to blow her current situation out of mind as she then mumbled out softly, "Please proceed to the foyer for the official ceremony."

To those who knew Hinata well, this seemed odd. However, the entire court merely rose and followed past her. Hinata, still entranced by this oddity, stayed standing, unaware of what had left her mouth. Hanabi slowly shook her sister's arm.

"Hinata-sama, the ceremony?"

Hinata's head snapped back to reality.

"Hm? Oh, yes, of course!"

Hinata rushed quickly past the fleeting crowd to the foyer, taking her place in the front, on a small elevated step beside a pedestal with the wreaths neatly stacked for presenting. Hanabi took her place beside Hinata, in the spot Hinata herself would have taken if her father had been present, alongside her own pedestal with the white lily, another gift of remembrance for the leaving visitors. Two traditional items, each symbolizing a separate thing, that were handed to the honorary guests. Slowly, yet efficiently, a guest stepped up to be bestowed with a wreath, a lily, and also a kiss upon the forehead from the Royal members, to symbolize taking the clan's 'good fortune' with them.

Hinata handed her wreath out, presented the parting kiss, and watched as each guess passed, mouthing, and "arigato" to each one. Hinata reached for a wreath, turned, only to come face to face with a grinning Temari.

"Hinata-sama! We barely spoke at the ball! I'm disappointed we spent such little time, and my brothers are deeply offended with themselves for not even greeting you."

Hinata's eyes widened.

"I-I'm sorry, I d-didn't mean t-to exclude t-them or anything…"

"Nah, it's fine, eh? Besides, I know the perfect way to make up for it!"

"Really?"

"Hinata-sama?"

The two turned as Neji approached them. Hinata brightened up.

"Ah, Niisan! How was the talk with fa-er, Hiashi-sama?"

Neji smiled, acknowledging Temari with a nod, and then turned back to Hinata.

"Ah, all is well. Am I interrupting?"

"Ie, no, I was just suggesting that Hinata-sama come visit myself and my brothers in Suna sometime. It's really lovely, and you'll have plenty of time to catch up on the time we lost at the ball last night."

"R-really?"

"Of course!"

Neji suddenly sparked an idea.

"Actually, Hinata-sama, that's a very good idea. In fact, how early do you wish to uphold to this proposition?"

Temari, somewhat taken back, starred at him.

"Hm? Uh, anytime I suppose. Little work comes in, and without any balls or conventions to attend, I'm mostly free. I could make time for Hinata-sama anytime of the year, really."

"R-really?"

Temari soon jumped into a long discussion in detail of Suna, which Hinata clung to. The guest behind Temari quickly got aggravated, but Neji did not notice. His mind dwelled elsewhere.

* * *

_"Now that you are aware of what is at stake, I have one final request."_

_Neji watched as Hiashi fiddled with the fabric lining of his robes, staying silent as he awaited the request._

_"There is still the matter of where she is to stay during this…" A visible shudder was seen, even from Neji's distance, as Hiashi mumbled the word 'vacation'._

_"Does not the Hyuuga clan have ownership of some manor in foreign lands?" Indeed, it was common for a royal family to host some villa of some sort in other countries, during their stay. Then again, it would not surprise Neji if Hyuuga clan were of the few that did not, considering how they nearly completely blocked out all contact with foreign countries._

_"Hm, no, we do not. I leave the location and arrangements up to you. However, you must promise not to tell Hinata of our reasoning. Understood?"

* * *

_

Neji turned back to Temari, who was in the middle of captivating Hinata with stories of sand storms.

"Very well, we shall take up on your offer! How is a month from this very date?"

"A-a month?" Temari and Hinata both exclaimed. Neji nodded, smiling, hoping Temari would easily agree, praying her visible liking towards Hinata would help persuade the matter.

To Neji's relief, the better nature of Temari overtook her, smiling once more as she turned to Hinata.

"Very well, Lady Hinata; I look forward to seeing you at the Suna palace a month from today."

With that, Temari took to her departure, much to the relief of Neji and the infuriated guests that impatiently waited behind her. Neji departed from Hinata, much to her dislike, with little explanation, leaving her once more alone. Her eyes immediately settled to the next guest in line; Prince Naruto. She squeaked, blushing madly. He smiled at her. He naturally greeted her, which unbeknownst to him made her insides flutter. He remained oblivious. However, one broken hearted knight with the look that all too well showed his disappointment, standing only a few feet away, did not miss either's expression.

* * *

Kiba nearly heard his heart crack. He had spent the entire feast searching for Hinata, never once bothering to look at the head of the table. Towards the end, Sasuke had purposely spilt his wine beside Kiba, immediately sending Kiba up as he attempted to avoid the stain the wine was sure to cause. He managed to escape, only to knock over his plate. Blushed with embarrassment, Kiba resorted to cleaning up his mess. He vented, mumbling to himself with inappropriate words to describe a certain knight, only to return visible once again to find the tables and seats being deserted. He had mumbled to himself in anger, not paying attention to hear of the gathering in the foyer. 

He had searched through the lines and foyer, but _she_ was nowhere to be seen, possibly hidden away or kept from the feast, something he wouldn't put past the rumored wicked Hiashi-sama. It was, however, when he saw her standing, presenting herself to all, that it dawned on him; Hinata was not a simple court lady. She was, in fact, the Hyuuga Heiress, suggested from her position upon the step and beside the pedestal, along with her attire. It then hit him how naïve he had been, ever considering, selfishly, that she was within his league. Baka, he now found himself repeating over and over in his mind.

He felt like kicking himself, but attention wasn't something he would feel too fond about receiving at that moment. How stupid had he been to suspect she would actually have considered falling in love with him? He was stupid to get such high hopes and fall head over heels after just one conversation. Whatever idiot made up the phrase 'love at first sight' was either incredibly drunk or had a bad sense of humor, Kiba thought begrudgingly as he turned. But, as he did, he felt the small pieces of his heart completely and utterly shatter.

Hinata's face had lightened up, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. Her eyes, as clear as they were, faced a direction not his own, but near. Turning to see what exactly caused such a change of expression, he found realization dawn on him. Naruto. Of course, he thought, his eyes widening at his stupidity. She was a _princess_, was she not? Naturally, her eyes would prey on meat of her own status. No, that metaphor seemed too harsh, to cruel to be compared with her. Maybe her field of vision narrowed to certain points was a better example? Kiba shook his head.

Grammatically correcting himself wasn't doing anything to help calm him nor heal the now broken heart of his.

He watched as Naruto approached her. She bent low to deliver the cheek's kiss, but stayed a moment longer than necessary, lingering as she took in the moment. Or so Kiba thought. He saw Naruto whisper something in her ear, though even with his excellent hearing he could not hear, and saw her blush. He could tell by the miniscule movement of her lips that her small, whispery voice was mumbling a thank you. He probably complimented her dancing or something like that, maybe a, 'thanks for the hospitality'. It seemed like something Naruto would say.

Kiba had half a mind to turn around and leave; just return to his room, pack, and escape before anyone knew. Or maybe he'd not even wait and bolt right now, jump off a cliff, and if he survived the fall he'd just swim ashore. But, his mind was unaware of his movements as it carried him across the foyer.

"Sir K-Kiba?"

The light voice immediately shook him. His eyes drifted up, following the elegantly curved body as he scanned what was in front of him. His eyes finally rested at the top, meeting a lilac-white gaze filled with both happiness and concern. It was then he was aware of the faint scowl on his face. He quickly replaced it with a forced smile, hoping to hide his hurt and defeat behind his dark, narrow eyes.

"Sir Kiba, I'm glad you could make it! For a while, I thought you hadn't come!"

Kiba smiled. She had thought of him? No, probably not. She was most likely saying this to be polite. But, something inside him thought she couldn't lie, not this easily.

"I told you, malady, Kiba is fine."

She giggled as he took her hand and attempted to kiss it. She withdrew, however, and in a flash had bent down and planted a kiss on his cheek instead. He had half a mind to grab her head and pull her lips over, just a few inches, but held back the urge. He stood there, stunned. And stood there. And stood there…

Why was she lingering? Was she still kissing him? This lasted surely longer than any normal person's farewell…possibly even longer than Naruto's…

She withdrew slightly, rising to his ear, and with a light whisper only loud enough for him to hear, she mumbled, "Arigato."

Arigato? What had he done that she thanks him for?

Suddenly, his heart re-filled. This small gesture, more of friendship than anything, seemed to rekindle his inner determination to snatch up this golden girl. The chances were slim, but…

He smiled. As she retreated back to her original posture, she smiled brightly, warming the building tension inside of him.

"We'll still be friends, hai?"

He surprised them both when he kneeled, once more taking her hand and kissing it, gently enough so as not to scare her at the faint touch from his lips.

He smiled, looking up to her now shocked, in a cute way, face.

"Hai."

His cheeky smile grinned even wider as he stood tall, easily overpowering her in height.

"You better visit then sometime soon, or else this friend will feel forgotten!"

She giggled, forgetting her absolute shock at his earlier action.

"Very well, then, I promise to visit."

"Good."

With that, he took the wreath, bowing to cover his now increasingly growing smile, and took his leave. He felt giddy with the excitement and happiness now flowing through him. His inner flame of fortitude kept him light on his feet as he soon joined Naruto, who had become distracted in an argument with Sasuke. His small, quick encounter with Hinata was enough inspiration to keep his dream up. It was a fool's hope, something so silly to fall in love with someone of a higher class, and even more of an idiot's gamble to try and make that counterpart fall in love with you back. But, he was determined to achieve this feet.

He knew it was a faint chance, but this seemed real enough to believe in for him, so he would continue on with this mission.

Besides, they were friends, and good ones at that in such short time. That was good enough, for now at least.

* * *

The feast had been a success, she continuingly repeated in her mind. She still was getting over the shock of Neji's quick agreement for Hinata to visit Temari and her brothers in Suna, seeing as she had never left the white castle before. Seeing Naruto had been a mood booster as well, and the light compliment of her beauty he had whispered had clearly had its effect on her heart. However, the most pleasing affair had been her confrontation with Kiba, surprisingly enough. She didn't know what had come over her to whisper her quiet 'thank you', but she knew well enough why she had spoken so. 

It was to thank him for being her friend, and for brightening her spirits the previous night.

She had been surprised at his actions when he responded to her question, but she had truly been flattered by it. AS the guest numbers dwindled down to nothing, everyone having left, she found herself standing alone with Hanabi and Neji each by her side. Sir Lee soon joined them, mumbling something to Neji, most likely about what he meant to tell him earlier, and Tenten also joining them, mostly to escape the maid job of cleaning up. Hinata watched as boats faded from the ports, covered by the mist.

She sighed, happily of course, and turned to Neji.

"So, I have only a month to prepare for my venture to Suna?"

"SUNA?!"

Neji flinched at the anger and shock in Hanabi and Tenten's voices. Apparently leaving them out of such a decision wasn't very smart…

* * *

Kiba starred off of the side of the ship, a wicked side-grin plastered on his face. A baka's dream, eh? 

Well, he was a baka, wasn't he?

* * *

**A/N-**OMG! Once again, SORRY! Yeah, this chapter took sooo long to type because it seemed boring to me, the festival-feast thing I kept debating on how to tpye and all, and I wanted to protray Kiba not as thinking of Hinata like a pure goddess in a 'OMG! gotta have that woman!" kinda way, but more of a, "Wow, she's perfect!" you know, in a more calm and collected way, eh? Okay, that didn't make any sense to anyone except myself, but who cares-I tried to make him more blindly in lvoe rather than overly obsessed-Okay, that amd eit worse. Forget it... 

I PROMISE the next chapter wil lcome sooner- I'm not gonig to give an exact date, because knowing me I'll miss it-It mgiht be over a week, but definetly not three months later like this one(Sorry!)! Keep reviewing, becasue those are like kicks to the head saying, "Hey, type already!" So, sorry 'bout the lnog update, thank you for continuing to wait for a new chapter and being patient (So far no threats! Woohoo!) and ocne more, sorry!

So much mroe to say, but that'd cause further delay. Read and Review!


	5. Gold

**Quick Note; Sorry for such a, once again, long update! I hope you enjoy it, though! This chapter is a bit different, but...well, I hope you enjoy! Sorry in advance if the ending is a bit confusing! If you don't get something, all will be explained in the next chapter, which I'll update much sooner than recently. I was very disorganized, but recently I've straightened up and have newly lit my inspiration and desire to continue this story; so, I should be able to update much sooner than I have been. Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer; No...**

* * *

**Gold**

A month had come and passed, and now Hinata found herself riding on the back of a prestige carriage. The butterflies flapping in her stomach seemed to have morphed into cats, for they wouldn't settle. The ride across the lake itself had been, to most people's standards, completely uneventful. However, to one who had never left a castle in all their 16 or so years of life and was suddenly traveling a few days away to vacation in a foreign land, it was very exciting. Most of the crew, in fact, found the heiress odd; mostly in the way she questioned everything, politely and shyly of course, and gasped at awe in everything they did. Though, most regarded this action and a few even related to it; they all politely responded with an answer to each of her questions, even the ones they themselves had little idea as to what the answer was.

After the ship landed, Hinata had gotten her first look at a real forest and trees that weren't carved into stone. The wildflowers seemed to fascinate her the most, and she stopped every step to sniff them. Oddly enough, her father hadn't sent along with her a knight or bodyguard; Neji himself had been busy on another assignment that he wouldn't let her in on. No maidens came with her, either. Tenten stayed behind to pick up on duties she had supposedly been lacking on, and Hinata was, as her father answered when she dared to question why she was not being accompanied, 'too young'. These all seemed like valid enough excuses, but that was just it; they were excuses.

The mystery of her solo journey, however, was now occupying the back of her mind. Instead, she was admiring the rays of gold, red, and orange that hit the sand. It had been two days, this being the third, since her journey began. They had entered the desert not long before, and luckily enough they had yet to hit a sandstorm. Though, thanks to some information provided in a letter by Lady Temari herself, this wasn't the season for them. Hinata was grateful for this fact.

Hinata slowly shut the book in her lap, something Temari had also sent over that mentioned basic facts and manors of Suna, and placed it gently on her lap. The carriage found some difficulty traveling through the sand, but luckily enough, once more thanks to Temari, a map had been sent that showed the safest route. In fact, along with the book, letter, and map, Temari had also taken the liberty of sending some footnotes, neatly written on parchment, that explained further some of the large culture of Suna. Most of it mentioned the food, which ingredients alone made Hinata swell with interest, as well as fashion (Something Hinata noted still did not fit Temari's own unique style)and other ends & odds, such as etiquette and greetings and so on.

Hinata peered out the window, past the many sand dunes, and could, just barely, make out the outline of Suna. Though it looked like black dots and lines, tiny insects, it was nonetheless beautiful. It was within the hour that the carriage had reached the giant city walls. They were so large, blocking the view of the city, and only had one narrow slit of an entrance. Many levels where guards stood were present along the wall, and each one looked down. A few cocked an eyebrow at the strange carriage, while others waved. As the carriage neared the gate, the two guards above it merely starred down. Hinata, unclear as the sun blocked most of her vision, was not sure whether they were glaring at her or merely taking in the odd sight. However, the view only lasted a moment as suddenly loud shouts could be heard.

"BAKA! What are you doing, standing there looking dumbfounded! Open the gates, ja!"

Hinata, at first, was frightened at the scream as the many guards scattered back to their posts. But, after hearing the familiar 'ja', she calmed down, recognizing the owner of the voice. Only moments later did the gates open, revealing a lone figure standing to block the carriage's path. Though, it was no threat.

Hinata smiled, jumping down from her position on the carriage to gracefully join the awaiting figure, greeting him with a proper curtsy. He returned the favor with his own bow.

"An honor, Lady Hinata, to join my siblings and me in Suna for a visit, ja."

Hinata giggled at Kankuro's words. Something about them just didn't sound right, coming from his mouth. They were too formal. She could imagine Kankuro saying something more along the lines, "Ah! You came; great, ja!" Though she doubted he would ever stoop to such informality, no matter how many times she could tell him it was fine.

He was dressed, as usual, in Suna knight garments, black with a few metal guards here and there. A metal band across his head held a black cloth that draped over his head, minus his face of course, covering his thick, dark brown hair. His face was yet again decorated with the bright purple coating of paint, crossing his cheeks and forehead, decorating him with symbols of his knighthood. He straightened once more from his bow, awaiting her reply to his own salutation.

She, in return, bowed politely and perfectly balanced, easily proving that her 18 or so past years had been well spent in learning proper manners and greetings. She offered her hand, knowing well enough from the letter from Temari, thankfully, of the custom of greeting each other with a gentle peck on the hand, something Kankuro did demonstrate. Afterwards, she stood erect, awkwardly awaiting something to happen, most preferably him to lead her inside the gates. As she patiently awaited, he cleared his throat and squinted his brow together, concentrating hard. The puzzle of what exactly he was straining over so much was answered as he began his speech.

"Welcome, Lady Hinata, to the glorious kingdom of Suna! We warmly accept your visit as, ah, an honored arrival, and, um…"

It was then she realized he had memorized this speech and had practiced it plenty of times, though his memory chose to fail him when it mattered most. The worst part about it, however, was it was not only a speech that had little chance of coming from his own words (most likely memorized out of some text book) but rather it was a proper greeting used in the Hyuuga's kingdom. Hinata sighed, hiding her amusement as she could easily imagine Temari pouring over books no proper Hyuuga etiquette and forcing her brothers, if only Kankuro, to study along with her to make Hinata feel as comfortable as possible.

Her sigh, however, was translated as though she found Kankuro's greeting irritating, or even possibly offended. Ashamed at his familiar, Kankuro immediately collapsed to one knee, bowing his head in disgrace as he apologized. Hinata, taken off guard, quickly shook her head, hastily reassuring Kankuro that she was not at all offended in any way of his greeting.

After the awkward greeting had been sorted out, Kankuro led on, Hinata walking alongside him, as he led her past the overwhelmingly large gates. Feeling more comfortable and relaxed, Kankuro dove straight into the subject of the palace and their excitement at Hinata's arrival. He spoke of how eager the royal family was, as well as how his sister had turned somewhat into a dictator as she led the house, making sure each preparation was perfect for her arrival. Hinata assured him it wasn't necessary, but he continued on.

Once they reached the palace, at the center of the kingdom, Hinata was left speechless. Her attention, which originally was focused purely on Kankuro, now faded all to the palace. Like the kingdom itself, which Hinata marveled at as Kankuro led her down the streets, was built from compacted sand. The buildings were square and rounded at the edges. Colorful cloth hung from windows and lines, linking from one building to the next, lighting the sky up with bright colors that flapped in the wind, the tiniest breeze that tussled sand everywhere at their feet. Awestricken at the view, Hinata nearly stumbled up the low steps leading to the giant doors that opened into the castle. The inside, just as beautiful as the outside, also had hallways lined with statues and portraits of kings and queens past that Hinata had only ever heard the slightest mention in her Hyuuga study books. She stopped at a particularly handsome portrait, admiring the buff cheek-bone structure f the man. He looked oddly familiar, though she couldn't exactly pin point who he reminded her of until she turned to ask Kankuro. He, casually distracted with a loose piece of hair that apparently could use some cutting, found this much more interesting than admiring portraits he must have passed a million times over in his life.

The man in the portrait greatly resembled Kankuro.

"S-sir Kankuro, is this y-you in the portrait?"

Granted, the picture was older looking, but most painters gave a certain heroic, wiser look to royalty when trying to catch their majestic charm in paintings. Kankuro, glancing at the picture, made a short retching noise as he scrutinized his face up, apparently offended. Hinata quickly covered her mouth, ashamed at her comment. Seeing her face, he swatted away the look with a flick of his hand.

"Ie, no. That man is our father. I bear great resemblance to him, no?"

He gave a short cackle, turning away to leave. Hinata, hoping to wrong her offense, quietly spoke up.

"I'm sure he was a great man."

Kankuro froze, turning his head back only enough from her to see his mouth, his eyes shaded by the hair that fell over them.

"No. He wasn't."

* * *

Kankuro had called for a maid to fetch Hinata to her room. It, as magnificent as the rest of the palace, left Hinata entranced as she patiently awaited the maid to once more call for her to dinner. As she waited, she also began to dress herself properly, primping herself to greet Lady Temari as well as King Gaara, who she was informed she would be dinning with. Hinata squealed with joy as a selection of kimonos were brought to her, complimentary of Temari who sent her apologies for not being able to greet Hinata until dinner that evening.

Hinata traced her fingers, pale and frail as they glowed white next to the vibrant colors, over the kimonos, each one radiating with a color she's only seen in faded paintings, and even then not in full beauty as they were presented before her now. Finally, after an overwhelmingly difficult decision, she chose a scarlet kimono. The color, a deep red, popped out most in her vision. It was a solid scarlet, but an embroidered design was embedded into it, following a pattern of loops and twists. It marveled her, and even more so as she slipped it on. The obi was much more complicated than her ball kimono, but once tied (a task she found nearly impossible) is fell tightly behind her, dragging dangerously near the floor. She pinned her hair up herself in a series of loops and buns, decorating it with complimentary jewels and hairpins of bright, sunset colors. As she admired herself in the mirror, she felt slightly more down to earth, closer with the culture. However, she also felt out of place. The dress itself seemed odd, being worn by a dark-haired, pale petite girl as opposed to its usual tanner, lighter haired occupant, whoever it may have been. Judging by the quality, Hinata assumed these were Temari's; this also was supported by the size of the kimono, which was slightly larger than Hinata's normal size. Embarrassingly enough, however, Hinata had to admit her bust size might have been a tad too much for the kimono, though she hid it well with a red shawl.

What bugged her the most, however, were her eyes. Those pale, lilac eyes that held no pupils just stood out too much against the kimono. However, she ignored this simply by looking away, smiling as a light knock at her chamber door signaled her presence was acquired at the dinner. She gracefully, head held high to show off pride she did not possess, strolled down the hallway, keeping her eyes straight ahead to avoid distractions from the paintings and abstract art that circled her and otherwise would intrigue her for hours.

As Hinata entered into the dining hall from a side chamber door, she was immediately greeted by two heads that turned in her direction, both familiar. The first was Kankuro, who she desperately attempted to suppress a giggle from looking at due to his mouth which was stuffed with food. He, unaware, attempted to greet her, but a thwack to his hand prevented this. The owner of said physical abuse was the woman to his right; Temari. After giving a silent scowl to Kankuro, she turned once more to greet Hinata warmly, rising from her chair as she approached the smaller girl, her own hips swaying with experience as easily left a gap of maturity between the two.

"Lady Hinata, I was thrilled to hear the news of your arrival this morning! I am sorry I wasn't there to greet you properly, but my brother sent in my place was not too bad, eh?"

She turned, giving her brother a tiny glare, before returning her attention to Hinata.

"Ah, and I'm glad you chose from my selection of kimonos! They're gifts for you, actually, though I fear a few may need to be tailored. I'm afraid your measurements were unknown to me, and therefore our limited source of options left us slightly baffled in what we could prepare for you. I hope they meet your pleasing?"

Hinata nodded, smiling brightly.

"Yes, they are lovely. Thank you."

Hinata took this opportunity to observe Temari's own attire. As usual, it neither fit the description of proper attire for Suna residents nor that of any other foreign citizen. Her dress did, however, cover her shoulders, a three-quarter length sleeved dress that reached her knees. However, a metal breast-plate was strapped over it, tied from behind. As she raised her hands to emphasize her greeting, Hinata took note of the fingerless gloves she wore; a dark leather. She looked readied for battle, Hinata noticed.

Hinata then seated herself beside Temari at the long table, gently folding the napkin in her lap as the letter Temari had sent instructed her. Looking up and down the table, she distinguished that Temari and Kankuro were the only ones dining there. It was common for royals to eat alone, just the family, at an overly large table, but it seemed odd that Gaara did not accompany them. Even though her own father rarely sat at meals with them, he made his best attempt to be present when a guest had joined them.

Temari seemed to have read her mind, for her next comment answered her question.

"Gaara was terribly sorry to report he wouldn't be able to accompany us. He is busy with matters portraying to his kingly duty, and therefore can't be here. He sends his regards and apologies."

Hinata nodded, unsure of how to correctly respond other than a nod of understanding.

As Hinata cut at the steaming delicacy before her, Kankuro once more broke out into speech, hoping to liven up the silent table.

"Well, this year's recruits for knighthood training have been nothing shy of excellent. We're very proud of them. We even have a few training under my expertise, ja."

Hinata looked up, while Temari merely rolled her eyes.

"Y-your expertise, S-sir Kankuro?"

Temari dabbed her mouth with a napkin, then cleared her throat, signaling she would explain and save Kankuro the effort, though he didn't mind either way.

"Kankuro is an expert in a special sword technique, you see. It's a common technique, especially in Suna, but few can ever do it so well. It's a type of mastery in wielding a larger sword than most. Using his quick finger techniques, he's skilled in controlling a sword to do certain tasks a normal wielder couldn't. He's very proud of it," Temari added a bit softer, adding a hint of annoyance as she rolled her eyes, referring to Kankuro's slight ego when it came to his sword. Kankuro, catching this, snorted as he rose from the table. After which, Temari rose a glass of wine to her lips, bored with the subject; apparently, this topic was routine, explaining her well-practiced explanation of her brother's talent.

"Actually, I'm still not incredibly good. There are others who are just as good, and a few who are even better. For instance, a famous master of this art was a woman, though she never received her knighthood for obvious reasons. Her grandson, as well, was very talented, almost more so than her."

"Shame, really," Temari added, lifting an arm above her chair as she turned to watch Kankuro lift from the wall something that Hinata's vision was blocked from seeing. "It really was a disappointment when her grandson turned against the country. But, that's ancient history, no need to dwell on it." Kankuro rolled his eyes, ignoring his sister's unappreciative attitude towards the history of something as important to him as this. Turning, Hinata saw in his hands the sword she had seen when they first met. It was still wrapped in bandages, a furry top covering the handle. He carefully and slowly unwrapped the bandages, revealing a shiny, silver sword, well-polished. It was darker and thicker than the swords Hinata had constantly seen the Hyuuga knights carry. It was also safe to assume it was much heavier, seeing as how the Hyuuga swords were built to be smaller and swifter than any other sword, to allow the knight to have easy agility and fast speed.

Hinata admired the sword up and down, and was startled when Kankuro began to twist it within his fingers, swinging it effortlessly in circles with the smallest of movements between his knuckles. He used the smallest of effort as he twirled the sword around in all sorts of fancy arrays and circles, letting the sword's shine glimmer at every angle in the candle light that illuminated the hall. Hinata, dazzled by its beauty, continued to watch, her eyes following each movement as each trick was performed. Finally, Kankuro stopped, after having leapt the sword from one hand to the next and back, all by merely moving two fingers.

"I've mastered the technique with two swords at once. Still, I'll never be like the greats! They say they could wield ten to a hundred swords, all at once!"

Temari cackled.

"Ten? One hundred? No one can wield that many swords at once, brother. The sun has melted your brain, my dear brother."

Kankuro, about to retort, was interrupted then as the doors swung open, a single figure standing before them. Hinata, turning, half choked as the figure was none other than Gaara. Dressed in the royal robes, white with a blue shawl to show his royalty, Gaara strolled down the hall to his chair, passing quietly by Hinata without so much as an utter of greeting. Seating himself and placing the napkin in his lap, he let out a low, "Greetings, Lady Hinata," before setting out to enjoy the parcel of a meal he had been presented.

Silence filled the room until Temari decided to interrupt it.

"So, Gaara, I assume today went well with the council?"

A pause, followed by a simple, "yes."

Temari, sighing quietly to herself, resumed eating. Silence filled once more, until Hinata summed up enough courage to enquire further of Kankuro's sword talents.

"S-sir Kankuro, do you by a-any chance have a n-name for your sword?"

Kankuro looked up, startled by the question.

"Ja? Yeah, this one goes by Karasu. My other sword is Kuroari. I also have shield, Sanshōuo, all three of which came from the great sword master himself, Sa-"

"Well, as interesting as sword-talk can be," interrupted Temari, visibly irritated by the subject as the sarcasm overwhelmed her speech. "I think Hinata would enjoy a topic more relatable, such as…"

Temari never finished her sentence as the doors burst open, in strolling an important, and older, looking man. The markings on his face, bright red like strikes, were only visible on one side of his face, the other covered by his knight helmet, though it itself was only metal on his skull, the half covering his face a simple cloth. He strolled quickly towards the four present, urgency radiating off of him as he attempted to catch his breath.

"King Gaara, Sir Kankuro, Lady Temari, Lady Hinata," he addressed each one quickly bowing as was custom. "The gate watchers have reported a disturbance. It seems some rebels have begun an attack against the guards. They request your aid."

Gaara rose, gently folding his napkin. Kankuro, however, was up and moving within a flash. He already had once more reached his sword and was turning, ordering the servant in urgency.

"Baki, fetch me Kuroari. After which, command the fifth section under your lead. Take them to the frontline of the gates. Inform me as we walk."

Within moments, Kankuro and Baki were hastily strolling out of the hall. Hinata watched, startled at how quickly Kankuro had switched from relaxed to tense. Gaara himself was already exiting to a side-chamber door, apparently to ready himself for battle. Hinata, dazed as she watched the two leave without so much as a word, was startled when Temari tugged at her sleeve.

"Come, we must prepare, my dear."

Without any protests, Hinata followed as Temari led them out an opposite chamber-door from Gaara's own. Strolling quickly down a hallway, they finally reached a door at the end. Opening it, Temari led them inside, what Hinata assumed, was her own courters. Temari then abandoned Hinata as she entered a small side-closet, pulling forth a large, metal club, or so Hinata assumed it was. However, a moment's flicker later, and it was revealed to actually be fan of immense size.

Hinata shrunk back in shock as she hinted the madness flickering in Temari's eyes. The usually calm and collected, yet still slightly spunky, inner fire how now flamed up to a scary, amazingly powerful glare. Temari smiled, a hint of evil behind those painted lips, as she walked once more over to join Hinata. The low candlelight, flicking beside Hinata on a small end table, only enhanced the drama behind Temari's expression.

"Come along, dear. We wouldn't want to let Sir Kankuro and Gaara have all the fun, would we?"

Hinata, to frightened at how quickly and sharply everything had taken a turn, did not even pipe up the fact that she neither was trained in combat nor had a weapon to wield herself. Temari, though, overlooked this as she once more urged Hinata to follow, leading them once more from the room.

* * *

From outside the castle, on a balcony of sorts, led a bridge to the wall. The two females quickly followed this path, soon joining with Temari's own division that Hinata was amazed to learn Temari led, crossing onto the wall. They made haste as the traveled down the wall's walkway until they reached the front gate. The view was much different, Hinata noted, from atop the gate rather than beneath. Before, the sun had been bright in the sky and the gates loomed over Hinata, making her feel small. Now, however, the sun had set and a starless night covered Suna. The sand now was a dusky brown, rather than gold, and far below, Hinata could just make out odds blurs and dots that she presumed were the attackers. She tried to differentiate between Suna warriors and rebels, but found herself failing at the attempt. Both wore more or less rags, cloth lightly worn just to protect them from sand, as opposed to the knights of Hyuuga who were heavily dressed in armor that glistened in any setting.

Hinata, looming dangerously over the wall's edge, watched with wide eyes the sight of war. Something stirred within her, making it near impossible to both watch and to look away. Whether she was afraid of the sight of battle and war, or rather intrigued by the clash of warriors, she found the sight fascinating. The fact that it was not peaceful and tranquil as everything in Hyuuga was made her curiosity intensify. It wasn't until a sharp tug, pulling her back until she nearly lost balance, did she realize she had almost fallen over.

"You need to be careful, Lady Hinata."

She turned, seeing Gaara. His eyes, she noted, were not like Temari's; they did not fill with excitement at the thought of battle. No, they were as dull and emotionless as ever, leaving him as just as much of a mystery as before. Hinata opened her moth to give thanks of gratitude, but he was already turning, calling forth his brother. Kankuro made haste to join the two.

"Kankuro, watch our guest; make sure nothing befalls her."

Kankuro gave a nod, and after that the two brothers parted. If Hinata hadn't known any better, she would have assumed it was merely a king giving order to his loyal knight. But, the fact that they were brothers made it seem all the more cold. Something boiled deep inside Hinata, though she couldn't identify it quite right. For a brother to treat his own kin with such lack of concern was just…revolting. For one to show no unease that their own blood might die was, strangely, angering her. How could one be so emotionless?

She opened her mouth to express this, but Kankuro seemed to have read her face.

"He cares. He really does, ja. He worries about me, about Temari, and even his men. He doesn't want anyone to die. He knows some will, but he doesn't want it. Still, he has to remain looking strong, for his men. He's like that; he won't show you what he is feeling, but you just have to trust that he is."

Hinata held back a sigh, watching as Gaara continued shouting orders, both to Baki (A senior knight, Hinata had learned from Temari during their journey over) as well as directly to his men. Hinata, just then, turned, searching for Temari. Quickly, she spotted the young lady hacking her fan away at enemies at the gate, in the frontline, along with her specialized team. For a moment, Hinata's breath was caught, watching as an attacker snuck up from behind her. However, Temari was more than ready as a series of kicks and slices from her fans left the enemy motionless on the ground.

Kankuro took this opportunity to pull Hinata to the sidelines, out of range as a barrage of arrows crossed the wall. Hinata shielded her eyes, biting her lip as sounds of hollers and screams could be heard. Kankuro then hastened the two, crawling low as the wall shielded them from more volleys of arrows, until they reached the side-stairs, leading to the floor beneath them. Kankuro pulled them both down into the stairs, waiting a moment to catch their breath. Here, he withdrew his two swords, both having been latched to his back. Hinata immediately recognized Karasu, large and fur-handled like always. Kankuro's second sword, however, was not silver, but in fact black. Hinata also noted its handle was a redder wood, with symbols etched into it. In both swords, up close she noticed, they had several slits, both in the handle and blade. What exactly those slits were fore, she didn't dwell upon much.

"Hinata; stay here and wait for me. Understand? Do not move at anyone's commands but mine. Alright?"

The seriousness in his voice left Hinata no room to question his authority; she merely nodded.

As Kankuro vaulted himself down the stairs, sharply turning and leaving nothing but his battle cries ringing in Hinata's ears, she merely curled up, hugging her legs to her chest. She tried to drone out the calls of battle, but found it near impossible being so close to the frontline. She could just make out Gaara's voice, shouting a ways off some orders that were too undistinguishable for her to make out. She also caught sound of Temari's fan, whizzing through the windless night, slicing through countless victims. For a moment, she feared Kankuro had fallen, seeing as she heard no hints that he had survived, but at that moment she could distinguishably hear Gaara shout something along the lines of, "Kankuro, look out!"

* * *

The battle raged further on, Hinata still huddled quietly, praying she wouldn't be discovered. Her heart fell when she heard calls of, "Retreat! They've overcome the gate!" She immediately feared for her own safety, seeing as how the stairs could be reached from a side-doorway inside the gate. Her fear was confirmed the moment a head popped into view from below. Her body froze, her mind going blank as a face, blood splattered heavily upon it, smiled wickedly up at her.

"Found ya."

She watched in horror as the swordsman stepped forward. Her silver hair, covering one eye, tussled lightly with each step. His mouth, lined with a sea-green coating, twisted into a wicked snarl. His eyes, glistening with death and hatred, approached her, penetrating her body from further movement. As much as she wanted to run, she found she couldn't. Moments before he reached her, she heard a distinctive battle cry from above. Seconds later, a black mass had landed itself on Hinata's assaulter.

"Milady, when I said don't move without my order, I didn't mean if someone was coming upon you, don't move!"

"S-sir Kankuro?!"

Hinata watched, eyes still wide with fear, as Kankuro swung both his swords, circling them to create an invincible shield, stepping closer to his opponent. The attacker, displeasure showing greatly on his now disappointed face, withdrew his own sword, taking a stance. Kankuro stopped swirling his swords, preparing himself for the duo's battle. However, the attacker slowly began to snicker, sheathing his sword once more.

"I don't wish to fight you, Sir Kankuro of Suna. I'd prefer to leave it to my brother."

Hinata and Kankuro, confused, were soon answered as a firm hand took hold of Hinata's arm, twisting her around. Gasping, she came face to face with an invader identical to the first.

"So, Ukon, now you decide to sow up?"

The man currently in hold of Hinata, Ukon, gave his brother a sneering gesture, then pulled Hinata backwards as the two then tried to escape. Kankuro, however, was on them quickly. Yanking Hinata out of Ukon's grasp, Kankuro pushed her behind himself, engaging in a sword duel with Ukon. The other brother, now below all of them at the bottom of the stairs, made his approach. Kankuro, seeing the advancing attacker, kicked Ukon backwards, sending him skidding onto the wall's walkway. He then picked up Hinata, twisting her around until she, too, was standing on the wall. There, he joined them and started hustling Hinata down the wall, trying to lose the two brothers now hot on their trail.

Kankuro, passing several knights engaged in their own individual battles, quickly spotted Temari, heavily occupied with her own opponent; a bright-haired red head with a short, what Kankuro assumed to be, sword for a weapon. He also noticed his shield beside her.

"Temari, throw me Sanshōuo!"

Temari made no reply, merely turning for a moment while her opponent attempted to rise once again from the ground, and chucked Sanshōuo to Kankuro, adding a spin to it. Kankuro caught it, slinging it onto his arm, and turned to clash his shield against the first of the brothers. Hinata, with great force from Kankuro, was flung to the ground, behind him in an attempt to protect her. She watched as Kankuro attempted to hold back the brothers, both taking turns at hacking at Kankuro's shield.

"It's no match, really!"

"Just give us the girl and we'll kill you quickly. Everyone wins, really."

Kankuro smirked as the brothers stopped, awaiting his reply. One brother, perched over Kankuro's shield with his own sword blocked against it, peeked over, catching a glimpse of the horrified Hinata. Kankuro, his face shadowed with his wet hair hiding it, slowly smirked.

"Karakuri Engeki."

A small slit, similar to those on his swords, was centered in the shield. Through this, Kankuro slipped Karasu. Hinata, the shield blocking her vision, heard the scream, and saw a splatter of blood, but never watched the eyes of the victim of Kankuro's true technique as they faded to lifeless. From behind Kankuro, she could just make out the mold of a body, collapsing in front of the shield. The remaining brother, his face visible out of the corner of Hinata's eye, now had the look of horrification on his face.

"Sakon!"

His cry of agony pierced the night, similar to his brothers. Ukon, now left alone to take on Kankuro, regained his composure, but the hatred blazed within him still.

"You bastard; I'll…I'll kill you! Damn it, I'll kill you!"

He raced forward, kicking Kankuro's shield from him. The shield rolled along it side, collapsing several feet away. Kankuro, bent on one knee from his attempts to hold the brothers back, was immediately kicked down, receiving a blunt hit to his chin. Attempting to get up, he was merely slammed down once more by Ukon. Ukon then withdrew his sword, hovering over the helpless knight as he raised it, ready to stab.

"Any last words, bastard?"

Kankuro smirked, angering Ukon further. As he brought his sword down, Kankuro pulled forth Kuroari, blocking Ukon's assault while remaining on his back. At this, he gave a short chuckle.

"You bastard's never learn, do you?"

In a flash, Kankuro had raised Karasu, slipping his sword through the slit of the blade. Hinata watched in horror as it rammed through the enemy, his eyes widening with shock at the sudden turn of events.

"Karakuri Engeki. Kuro Higi Ippatsu."

Hinata watched with revulsion as Ukon's body collapsed to one knee, and then fell on his side. Kankuro rose himself, using his duo swords to hoist him up, and turned to once more give Hinata a confident, cheeky grin that squinted his eyes closed and screwed his face up tightly. His war paint, fuchsia with stripes running across his nose, was now faded and running down his face, sweat and blood now covering his features in its' place. His breath was heavy and his voice was raspy as he attempted to let out a "How's that, Milady?"

It was then, as Hinata's eyes fluttered downward, that she took note of the stab wound in his gut. At that exact moment, as she opened her mouth to scream out for help, or just to release her terror of realizing the wound so late, that Kankuro collapsed. Falling right into her arms, Hinata now found blood seeping into her own clothes and hands. A splatter of blood flung itself across her cheek, and her knees collapsed into a pool of blood that was not her own. Her eyes stared out blankly, blurred with tears as blurry figures ran towards her. Whether they were friend or foe, she couldn't distinguish. She could, however, realize that their intentions were to relieve her of the fallen knight's body, which still was limply sprawled upon her. She, however, was in no state of releasing him. That is, until a familiar and calm voice spoke into her ear, softly stirring her conscious mind.

"You can let him go, Lady Hinata."

Her hands followed the command, and from behind her Gaara pried his brother from her arms. She continued to stare off blankly before her, watching as the last of the rebels fell to Suna soldiers. She heard a far off scream from Temari, followed by echoing footsteps, approaching quickly. Her vision darkened as she felt someone push her aside in a mad rush to approach the descended knight. The voices around her mingled into one imperceptible noise that was undistinguishable. A shake at her shoulder sent her falling onto the cold, hard ground, and everything went blank.

She had completely lost all grasps on reality and what had just occurred.

* * *

**A/N; Sorry once more if ending was confusing. It may seem like it, but no-this is not a KankyxHina, or even a GaaxHina. I simply wanted her to befriend the sand sibs, having a clsoe relationship, but nothing romantic. She befriended Temari easily, as well and Kankuro, and Gaara is jsut...stoic, I guess. I know there's a lot of Kankuro-sorry for people who don't like him, but I do. Also, he is serving as plot development, as well as character development; so, he played a large part in the story so far because of that. Anyway...**

**Also, sorry if his weapon discriptino seemed confusing. I was trying to translate both his weapons from puppets to swords and sheilds as well as his battles (The one against both Sasori and Sakon & Ukon). However, in translating his battles as closely as I could, I had to elliminate certain elements (Such as Kiba and Sasori's involvment, as well as chakra and ninja tools; medieval weapons only...) So, sorry if that battle was confusing, but here's a summary-**

**Sakon and Ukon are dead and Kankuro has a mortal stab wound in his gut.**

**Sorry to those who couldn't get this message the first time around, but hopefully this helps!****Hopefully any other actino scenes I write won't be so confusing! Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Yes, I didn't have any Kiba...I'm sorry, Kiba! But, I'll make it up in the next chapter; in the next chapter, I'm bringing everyone back (Kiba, Naruto, Sasuke, Neji, Hanabi, Tenten, Sand sibs of course, Hiashi; everyone is back). So, hopefully you all can forgive me for this chapter if I make it up in the next! Well, I know I'm writing a lot, but there was quite a bit to say! Anyway, I'll conclude her Suna visit in the next chapter, a big plot twist is comnig up, and yes, very soon, she will be gonig to Konoha...so, yes, that means Kiba and Hinata are meeting up again...**

**Anyway, sorry for this chapter taknig so long, as well as being a bit confusing in the end! I hope you enjoyed it anyway, though. See you next time, please R&R!**

**Karakuri Engeki. Kuro Higi Ippatsu-Puppet Performance. Black Secret Technique.**


	6. Magenta

**Quick Note; YEAH!! I got this chapter up very soon! I really wanted to update this one within a week (Mostly due to a certain review that commanded me to update within a week, noty after XD) I immediately typed this chapter up the ngiht after updating my last chapter, but something seemed off so I attempted to revise it throguhout the week. In the end, I think I added about seven paragraphs to only two segments ni the story, because the original for some reason seemed better than I had assumed(?)...Anyway, I hope it's alright! It's still not the best chapter, because I ended up having more that I needed to cram into it than I roiginall thoguht, but...oh well! Enjoy, hopefully!**

**Disclaimer-Nope...**

* * *

**Magenta**

A broad-shoulder, bored young man stood, leaning all his weight against the stone wall that surrounded the castle he now stood guarding. An elbow propped up his head, though his eyes kept threatening to close and fall into sleep any moment. His body swayed as exhaustion played tricks on him, teasing him every moment as he would drift off, only to abruptly be reawakened by every slightest rustle of distant-off trees. His hand slid up his cheek as once more he felt gravity pull down his body, he himself showing little resistance.

Kiba held back a yawn, or attempted to, but was unsuccessful.

"Sleeping on the job?"

Kiba, still in a groggy and grouchy mood from the lack of sleep lately, turned to address whatever idiot thought they could mess with him. However, upon turning, he immediately recognized the bright yellow hair, light blue eyes, and obtrusive orange robes. He attempted to look angry, but the sight of his friend only made him smirk. Through the combined efforts of both frowning and grinning, his smile became a sideways snarl instead.

"Up this late? What exactly prompted the _great _Prince Naruto to still be wondering the castle grounds _this _late at night?"

Naruto chuckled at Kiba's overly formal words. Kiba, also finding his attempt humorous, joined in the light laughter. The mood softened as the two began to casually chat.

"Well, I just couldn't sleep much, and I remembered that some of my bravest knights were watching guard and probably deserved some formal apology and greeting from the prince they serve, so I decided to give them that overdo appearance. And then I saw you and decided to pay you a visit on my way to those hard working knights."

While Naruto laughed, Kiba's grin dropped into a pure scowl.

"Funny," He retorted sarcastically.

As Naruto's laughter died off, Kiba turned, facing towards the forest and what lay beyond it to the north. Naruto, seeing the distant-off look on Kiba's face, decided to inquire what exactly he was thinking.

"Well, what's grabbed your attention, Kiba?"

Kiba, giving the direction a final glance before turning to return to patrolling the wall, merely answered, "Just thinking."

For indeed, he was thinking. Not necessarily thinking, more like visualizing a certain pearl-eyed girl. Similar daydreams had plagued his mind for the past few weeks, but never did they threaten to vanish. True, they hadn't kept in touch, and she had most likely forgotten about him completely, or at least shoved him to the back of her mind. But to him, she was always right there, a hallucination so perfect that was always inches away from his grasp.

This tended to interfere with his daily life, and anyone could clearly see he was in no mental state to protect anyone, let alone the prince. However, Naruto had continued to pledge for his friend, arguing that he was merely a bit stressed, possibly from the sudden rumors of endangerment to his majesty, though Naruto knew Kiba well enough to know that stress was probably least likely.

However, Kiba never admitted to what really was occupying his mind. Kiba kept the pleasure-full dreams to himself, secretly admiring the long-lasting beauty that had branded itself in his mind. He would constantly try to predict what she was doing at an exact moment, despite the fact he would never know exactly what she was doing. Perhaps sleeping peacefully, wrapped up in the silk sheets that all royals curled into at night. Or, perhaps, she too was restless and was roaming the castle alone, maybe a candle in one hand, possibly a book in the other. As his imagination ventured onward, Naruto merely scratched his head, overlooking the fact the knight had just walked off in mid-conversation and was now abandoning his friend.

* * *

As wild as Kiba's imagination got, it never once imagined that Hinata would be out cold on the stone wall of a battle zone, also known as the gates of Suna. Nor would he have imagined she would be soaked in blood that, thankfully, was not her own. Possibly he'd be happy to know the enemy now lay slain and defeated, with few casualties on the defending side. However, he might have been slightly concerned to hear that when she awoke, she was in no state to neither roam alone at night, nor read for that matter.

When Hinata did awaken, it was to a rising sun. A gorgeous sight, she thought at first. Lifting her head, she found herself within a bed. It was newly made and the sheets were silky, though she doubted they were real silk; possibly satin, but not silk. As she pondered on the wonders of the fabric she now laid in, she then began to recall other things. For one, she immediately recognized this room as not her own. For one, there were no windows. Another, the wall decorations were paintings of red and orange, though darker due to the lack of candlelight present in the room. Stepping from the bed, she also noted the fur rug underneath her was not her own, either.

Another mystery was her clothes. It was a simple, bronze slip, with a velvet tie around the front that held it closed. She tugged at the fabric, wondering how she came into this. Last she recalled, she had not been dressed so lightly. In fact, what had she been dressed in?

This question opened her mind to the previous night. She had arrived in Suna. Yes, that would explain the colorful surroundings. Let's see…she had dressed in a kimono that Lady Temari had picked out herself. It was red and embroidered beautifully, and…

…soaked in blood.

The terrors of the night before came flooding into her mind as she recalled each horrific detail of the battle scene. She had been led by Lady Temari, and then directed by King Gaara to be protected by Sir Kankuro, and…

She gasped, immediately racing to the door. She tugged at the iron handle, flinging the door open. She was uncertain as to where exactly she was, but she needed to know the outcome of the battle. Assuming they won, which would explain her awakening inside the Suna palace (though she didn't know where exactly in the Suna palace) she still was uncertain of the casualties, or even the extent of the damage. Even more so, she had no idea what had become of Sir Kankuro after his collapse, onto her she might mentally add.

However, in her mad rush to find someone, anyone, she turned a corner only to collide into something, or rather someone, tripping backwards. As she sat up slowly, rubbing her back as she winced in pain, she heard a familiar, stoic voice politely respond.

"You need to be careful, Lady Hinata."

She immediately looked up, confirming her suspicions. It was, indeed, Gaara. He was still dressed in his war attire, splatters and tiny stains of blood randomly positioned throughout his tunic. He had a small wound in his shoulder, opposite of the heart, as well as a few bruises and cuts along his arms. Smudges of dirt plagued his face, and his hair was damp with sweat. Otherwise, he looked moderately well. His eyes were still as blank as ever, which somewhat angered Hinata. His careless attitude made it seem as though he didn't care whether his brother was dead or not. As rage built inside, Hinata then referred to what Kankuro had said earlier.

"_He cares. He really does, ja. He worries about me, about Temari, and even his men. He doesn't want anyone to die. He knows some will, but he doesn't want it. Still, he has to remain looking strong, for his men. He's like that; he won't show you what he is feeling, but you just have to trust that he is."_

Hinata sighed, bowing her head. Tears began to form in her eyes. The mere memory of the knight's words several hours later only increased the pain in the fact he might already be dead, passed on-

"He's fine."

Startled, Hinata looked up, meeting a hand that Gaara had extended. As she took it, allowing him to raise her to her feet once more, he continued further with his explanation.

"Luckily, we got to him quick enough. The doctors are currently sewing him up. We managed to disinfect it; he's still not stable, but there are enough good signs to counter the bad."

Relieved, Hinata let out breath she was unaware she had held. Gaara, removing his hand from Hinata's as she now stood perfectly erect, turned and began to walk away. After a few steps he stopped, turning to signal she was to follow. They then began walking together, awkwardly silent at first, until Gaara attempted to strike a small conversation.

"After you fainted, I had servants bring you to my courters. It was closer, so I hope you don't mind. Temari switched you out of those clothes. I'm terribly sorry you had to witness such a battle, especially on your first night. Normally, Suna isn't like that."

Hinata, however, was thinking otherwise. Seeing how quickly yet calmly everyone acted at the alarm of battle, she would have guessed it was a regular tradition for them. She was about to delve further into her own personal comments on the matter, mentally of course, when his words sank in. _His courters?_

Her body froze, causing alarm once more as Gaara turned around to see that she had stopped following.

"Is everything alright?"

Hinata, startled by his lack of neither concern nor care for the matter that seemed very offensive to her, merely nodded, continuing to follow Gaara as he led her down several halls, finally reaching a door which he merely rasped at and was immediately swung forth. Gaara stepped in and then aside, allowing Hinata to enter and observe the inner workings of the room. The first thing she noted was that it was a healing room. A small fountain, filled with the purest of water, stood against the wall. Opposite of it was a row of beds, and few were occupied, the exception being the handful closest to the door. One bed in particular was surrounded so much that Hinata couldn't see who occupied it. However, after recognizing most of the onlookers as a mixture of doctors and nervous knights, as well as a frantic Temari, she could guess who the patient was. She strolled over beside the bed, a few fellow knights clearing the way respectively for her, as she looked upon the knight's face who had willingly sacrificed himself for her safety.

Sir Kankuro, for she thought he deserved t be addressed by his title in this situation particularly for his show of courage and honor, looked, oddly enough, peaceful. His eyes were closed gently, his war paint completely rubbed off, and his mouth was upturned into a slight smile, the remnants from his earlier grin at her. His chest had been exposed as several doctors and nurses continued to sew up a large, bloody gash in his abdominal. His hair was still damp, like Gaara's, with sweat and a bit of blood from a head wound, but most of his scars and cuts had been treated to. His face and body was washed and clean, no dirt smudges or clots of mud staining his muscles. He looked pale, an unhealthy shade Hinata thought, and half dead already. Yet, the small rise and fall in his chest was assurance enough that he still lived, thankfully. Relieved, Hinata backed away once more, allowing the onlookers and doctors to fill in the space that had been cleared for her viewing. Wishing to no longer be in the way, she took her leave. First in a light walk, and then gradually, once many corridors had been passed and no one was in sight, she began a fast run, until finally she had reached a door, leading to an outside balcony. There, she took in a deep breath of the fresh air, enjoying the relaxation it brought as contentment rushed over her.

Only moments later to be replaced with further dread as the air, still contaminated with the salty smell of blood, filled her nostrils.

Unable to find a place for solace, she collapsed to her knees, sobbing heavily into her hands as she questioned fate. However, her sobs ceased as the door banged open, revealing another figure. Turning, her tear-filled eyes immediately met with eyes that were just as red from grief, if not more.

"L-lady Temari."

The older woman didn't speak as she slowly approached the younger girl. Hinata rose to her feet, about to bow her apologies for disrupting in some way the peace, but before a word could be uttered or a bow presented, the taller lady had her hands wrapped around Hinata, embracing her in a hug. Hinata, stunned, stood there, awaiting a further explanation for the actions. Temari then buried her face into Hinata's shoulder, sobbing tears she had held back most of the morning while in the presence of others.

"H-he woke up, y-you know. A few hours a-ago, he gained c-consciousness," Temari began, her voice raspy at every word, cracking at each vowel. Her throat, dry from the tears, only added to the situation as Hinata felt a strong, deep feeling of pity for the girl.

"He asked if y-you were oaky. I-I told him you w-were fine. Then, he asked i-if I was alright. H-he told me n-not to cry," at this she laughed, pulling herself away from Hinata to wipe away her tears. Straightening up, she attempted to smile, though her lip still quivered. A strong sense of pride flew through Hinata, knowing Temari would be fine.

"He'll recover. I know he will. The doctors say it might take awhile, but he'll recover. I feel awful that this had to happen the day you visited, but…"

The two began to laugh. Not a laugh that was strong, or symbolized their blissful nature. No, it was more of a laugh to reassure themselves. Reassure one another that they truly were fine, and that everything was going to be alright. A laugh just to lighten the mood, though it wasn't necessary. Wiping away more tears, Temari continued.

"I really had hoped your visit had been a pleasant, undisturbed one. Certainly, I didn't expect this. However, the rebels have been taken care of, and the casualties were mere injuries. We were lucky this time."

Temari turned to leave, but Hinata's small voice piped up, a small, "um…" which caught the attention all the same. Stopping, Temari turned to hear Hinata's words.

"Uh…d-do you know wh-what the bandits w-were after?"

Temari sighed, turning to fully face Hinata once more as she lowered her head in shame.

"No, I'm afraid their true motive is unclear at this point. They could merely have been Suna peasants desiring a revolt, or possibly foreign warriors in disguise. The only thing clear at this point is the fact they were certainly not allies."

Hinata smiled, though it was weak. Temari, grinning much wider than before, turned to return to once more watch over her brother. Hinata, on the other hand, stayed outside a bit longer, her mind racing with questions and mysteries. For the time being, she thought, she should write a letter home, just to inform them of her current situation.

* * *

It was safe to assume Hiashi Hyuuga was not happy when he received notice that his daughter had been involved, on her first night's stay, in a small revolt at the Suna gates. In his rage, he had seemingly demanded for war, whether against the mysterious rebels who assaulted Suna (Though his only reasoning was that his daughter had been there at the time) or whether it was with Suna itself. It was also safe to assume that every knight had a valid reason to avoid Hiashi for the next week; each and every one of them was scared senseless of the man's fury.

Neji, however, was one of the few who had a particularly good mood about the whole affair, waiting patiently outside Hiashi's courters, even as the man inside could easily be heard shouting and throwing things about his room in a state of uproar that was most certainly not in his character. Neji, patiently waiting with a smile plastered on his face, sat on a stone bench outside the hallway, awaiting his king to order him about. Tenten, who happened to be delivering Hiashi's noon time meal (Due to short luck as she happened to draw the shortest straw between herself and the other maids) noticed this odd behavior, in both males, and decided to inquire, at least one of them, on the matter.

"And why does Neji, the sternness of all the knights of Hyuuga, wear about a smile that could rival a jester's this very day, despite his king's obvious frustration?"

Neji, still smiling, ignored the formal speech, and broke into a casual answer, that both horrified and relieved Tenten as she, too, cast away the formal talk.

"I'm happy, if you can't tell, oh fair Tenten."

"Happy? And why exactly are you happy?"

Tenten gently put down the tray and sat beside Neji, eagerly awaiting his answer. He turned, facing her, though still smiling.

"My uncle seems to be outraged."

"And this makes you happy?"

Neji laughed, which Tenten noted was a scary laugh as it seemed too fake and forced rather than natural.

"No, his anguish does not make me happy. I could never find pleasure in my lord's suffering. However, are you aware of why he is in such pain?"

Tenten nodded. It was common knowledge, by now, seeing as how there was no bigger gossip than a maid of the court.

"Yes. Poor Lady Hinata was present during a battle at Suna. Is that why you're happy?"

Neji's face turned into a scowl as he quickly turned once more to face Tenten.

"Heavens, no! I feel horrible, not blissful, at hearing of my dear cousin's peril! However, why would Lord Hiashi be so worked up over his daughter's safety, seeing as he never cared before?"

Tenten opened her mouth to retort, but found she couldn't. As she pondered, a voice from within the chamber roared out Neji's name. He stood, still giddy and bearing his broad smile, and began to walk towards his beckoner. Meanwhile, Tenten scratched her head, until finally the answer came to her.

"Unless he really does care!"

However, her companion had long since left, and her smile faded into a displeased frown. Irritated at her abandonment, she lifted the tray, returning once more to work as she muttered wretched names to bombard Neji with the next time she was to come across him.

* * *

"And now, watch as he…flips into the air!"

A light laughter rang throughout the air. Hinata clasped her hand across her mouth, attempting to stifle her excitement as a wooden figurine once more twirled in the air, held up only by a few invisible strings. The strings were connected to a single hand, which operated from a sling. Kankuro, laughing loudly along with Hinata, easily found enjoyment in his own hobby as he made the tiny figure dance further. Temari, leaning against the wall nearby, also managed to scoff out a noise that was presumed to be her laugh. Gaara, however, poked stoically at his meal, eyeing the trio every once and while when their laughter grew even louder than natural.

It had been a month, gone and past, since the battle. Hinata, stubbornly, had refused to leave Suna while Kankuro was still in critical condition, even though he was proclaimed stable after only a week of rest. He had been examined and later confirmed that his elbow was cracked, which explained the cast. Despite the pain, he managed to still twiddle with stringed puppets, in both hands, to entertain both his sister and their guest, a hobby he had recently been practicing and was quite a natural at. Though he felt his swordsmanship skills might be dulling, his sister assured him that the rest was both well needed and deserved. Over the time at her stay, Hinata had grown closer to Temari, seeing the woman as an older sister. Kankuro had become somewhat of a brother, while Gaara, in the few occasions that his schedule permitted him to also be present, had also become somewhat of a brother, though his absences accounted for greatly in the long run.

However, as the month had grown nearer and nearer to its end, Hinata had become well aware that she should be returning home, knowing full well that even if her father did not miss her (Which she assumed since he never once replied to her letters) that at least Neji or Hanabi or even Tenten might. It was a hard topic, but she finally managed to convince Temari to sit down and listen to her as she explained thoroughly that she was required to return one day. Temari, grudgingly, had picked out a date, which happened to be the next afternoon, and they had settled on that. In the meanwhile, Hinata was enjoying her final night at the Suna palace, watching once more as Kankuro entertained them as they awaited the full feast to arrive.

A few moments later and the siblings plus Hinata had calmed down, returning once more to their meal. Kankuro had cast his tiny puppets aside, next to his fingers as he masterly ate with only one hand (A feet Hinata found hard seeing as she was right-handed, where Kankuro had mastered the skills with both hands), while Temari also neatly folded a napkin into her lap. Hinata picked and poked at some parcels, the depressing truth that this was her last night in Suna slowly sinking in. Temari caught hold of this and decided to lighten the subject.

"You know, I'm glad you've enjoyed your stay here, Lady Hinata. I'm also happy you found my brothers entertaining! Usually, Kankuro is crude and Gaara's just a stick-in-the-mud!"

Kankuro retorted with a loud, "Hey!" while Gaara blankly glared at his sister, who laughed an avoided both their gazes at the same time. Hinata attempted to smile.

"I-I'm sure that's n-not true! Y-your whole family is w-wonderful!"

Apparently, the word 'family' was taboo, and Temari quickly quieted, while Kankuro avoided eye contact. Hinata, confused, looked to the two siblings for an explanation, but to everyone's surprise, it was Gaara who spoke up.

"Our father wasn't exactly what you'd classify as wonderful."

Hinata quickly felt a blush cross her cheeks, embarrassment flooding through her as she recalled Kankuro's earlier statement on the siblings' father. As though reading her mind, Kankuro, too, jumped into the explanation.

"He was an alright ruler, ja; he attempted to please the people, or at least made them believe that. But, as a father, well…"

"He failed," Temari flatly stated, not bothering to hide the truth as she violently slit her knife through a piece of steak, chomping hard down on it as she visibly showed her irritation of the subject. Hinata, feeling the tension rising in all three of the siblings, decided to fix her mistake.

"I love the fashion in Suna! Exactly how do you get the kimono's such a deep red?"

* * *

After the meal, which Hinata thanked the Suna royals for, she walked off to her own room, collapsing immediately onto her bed. She sighed, smiling at the happy memories she had spent and created during her stay. However, her smile faded as she realized these blissful times were to soon end, and she'd once more be locked away in her dungeon of a tower.

"Oh well," she mumbled. "At least I got to see some of the world before I died."

Sighing dramatically, she rolled over onto her side and slept.

* * *

Neji, sitting at his desk as he skimmed over some reports, was startled when Hanabi raced into his office, jumping up and down childishly.

"Hanabi-sama, you know it isn't right for a girl of your standard to be bouncing around like a-"

His metaphor was never finished as she frantically squealed out her own news.

" Hinata-san is back! She's back!"

Neji awaited no further explanation, rising quickly and trotting past Hanabi, though she attempted valiantly to catch up to him. Along his way through the halls and down the fleets of stairs, he saw Tenten. When asked where he was rushing to, he merely brushed past her, allowing the frantic Hanabi to instead relay the message on. Tenten was beside him in a flash, racing as the trio approached the front door. Neji pushed it open, letting in the sun to the dull castle, shedding a heavenly light into the giant foyer.

There, standing at the bottom, was Hinata, a tad of surprise present on her face at the abrupt opening.

"Hinata-san!"

Hanabi pushed past both the maid and the knight to reach her sister, glomping her with a knee-hug. Hinata bent low to give her sister a proper hug, and then straightened herself up to properly greet her welcoming committee.

"Hinata-sama, it's good to see you again! I hope you were well, no?"

Hinata nodded at Tenten's words, and then turned to greet her cousin. As Neji opened his mouth both to chastise about safety as well as express his relief that she had come home safely, he was interrupted by the door creaking open again from behind them, Sir Lee popping his head out to ruin the emotional salutation.

"Lady Hinata, Lord Hiashi requests your audience."

Hinata, as stunned as the others, did not hesitate as she strolled to join Lee inside. Neji, disappointed that his greeting was ruined, sighed, turning to face Tenten, who merely shrugged and herded Hanabi inside.

* * *

Kiba found himself once more dozing off. For the past month, he had been receiving little sleep. He had Hinata to blame for this. In the beginning, after a week or so, he had resolved it wasn't meant to be and he might as well start looking into one of the court maidens. However, after several nights of a mixture of both dreams and nightmares, each one involving Hinata, he had come to the conclusion that his mind wasn't truly ready to release the hopeless dream. Every chance he got, he snooped for any knowledge or information on the Hyuuga compound. The most he ever got, however, were small accounts of trade and a few rumors on the knights, though most were jokes created by bored and drunk knights who had nothing better to do than mock other countries' fighting forces.

Kiba now, however, was receiving the consequence of his lack of sleep. As he stood, looming over Naruto as he silently and unaccompanied ate his morning meal, Kiba soon found himself drifting asleep. It wasn't until Naruto had thrown an orange at his head, which sent him plummeting down, did Kiba fully grasp reality and awaken completely.

"Kiba! I've been shouting at you for the last hour, it seems! Any longer and I would have begun insulting your mother!"

As Naruto laughed, Kiba countering it with a few grumbles of insults himself, Kiba rose to his feet. Retaking his stance over Naruto, Kiba stood tall and erect, straightening himself to mimic a true knight. The only ones present in the room at the moment were Naruto and Kiba, Sasuke having abandoned them to train further his expertise. Naruto looked up, gazing at the dark bags under his friend's eyes.

"Kiba, when was the last time you slept?"

"Last night, sir."

"Kiba, drop the formalities. Seriously, you look wretched! What exactly has been on your mind, and don't say nothing!"

Kiba, realizing there was no point in hiding it any longer, sighed, taking a spot beside Naruto. His eyes fell to the table as he picked a grape from Naruto's plate, fiddling with it and tossing it from one hand to the next as he avoided Naruto's stare.

"Well, Naruto, it's like this. I…I met a girl, at the ball…you know, the one a month ago, at the Hyuuga Kingdom?"

Naruto mockingly pretended to rack his brain, inferring that he had attended several balls recently, when in truth the Hyuuga had been the last attended, and the last before that was over several years ago.

"Well, I met the girl, you see…"

"I should hope so," Naruto joked, though only his laughter rang through the hall as Kiba just stared at him, a flicker of annoyance showing no his face.

"Anyway," Kiba continued, leaning back as he ran a hand through his hair. "I guess she's just been on my mind. Silly, huh, seeing as how I'll probably never see her again, let alone have a chance…"

"Don't think that!"

Kiba looked up, watching with awe as Naruto changed from silly and foolish to now serious and determined.

"If you like a girl, the by golly I'll help you till the end to get her, even if it means going to war, Kiba!"

"R-really?" Kiba questioned with great disbelief. But Naruto, stubborn as always, merely scrunched up his face to show how serious he was.

A moment later, he broke out laughing.

"If I recall correctly, had you not refused to even give one lady a chance that night?"

Kiba, racking his brain, did come to the conclusion that he had, in fact, retorted he'd find no one interesting in the group of old hags that were present at the ball. Naruto, his laughter dying, regained posture, once more flickering on a serious face.

"Don't worry, Kiba. I swear to you I'll help you no matter what, with all my power; cuz you're my buddy!"

With this, he attempted a head lock, though Kiba fended him off. Laughing, Naruto rose and folded his napkin, replacing it on the table. With that, he took his leave, expecting Kiba to follow. Kiba, taking a moment longer to enjoy the view that seeped through the several windows lining the hall, slowly starred as his smile faded into a frown.

"I seriously doubt that, buddy."

* * *

Hinata quietly shut the door behind her, it snapping as the lock immediately went into effect. She walked over to an armchair that sat in front of her father's desk, facing him. His back was turned, but he corrected this as she sat.

"Hinata, I presume your journey went well?"

Hinata nodded, shyly stuttering a 'yes'.

"Good. Well, bird-walking the issue will prove to no avail at this point, so I will cut straight down to it. Hinata, I wish to proclaim you the Hyuuga Heiress."

Hinata's body froze once again as the words sunk in, leaving her body cold. This certainly was not the greeting she had expected from her father.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I'm done! As I mentioned above, I tried to ge tthis chapter out quickly, so sorry if it's rushed! I also don't think it's my best, but I still hope you all approve! I hadn't realized,until after I had typed in my previous chapter a promise that I'd include certain things, that I had quite a bit to cram into this chapter, and therefore it didn't turn out the way I particularly would have liked. I probably should have added a chapte rbefore this, but there would be some slgiht problems-A) that extra chapter probably would not have included Kiba, and B) it would have been kinda boring, seeing as how the plot twist at the end wouldn't appear until the next chapter. So, I just cramemd it all into one chapter. Hopefully, it's stil lto all of you guys's likings, and I'm sorry if you're disapointed!**

**I also hope it all made sense and is clear to visualize...Still not as much Kiba as I would have liked, but...Hinata does arrive in Konoha in the next chapter! YEAH! So ,that means Kiba's appearances from here out are icnreasing (probably doubeling...yeah...) And there wil lbe a bit less of other people (Mostly will be view-ponits switchnig between Kiba and Hinata-less Neji, sorry! Don't worry-the different views ponits isn't gonig compeltely, but I'm jsut focusing some more on my main characters from here on out, now that the plot is FINALLY gonig to REALLY come out, so...). So, hopefully you all don't mnid waiting jsut a little bit lnoger. Sicne school is almsot over, less school means less work, and therefore a lot more free time to type the chapters! They'll be comnig out a LOT sooner than I have been, so...I hope all this good news is pelasing some!**

**Once again, sorry if chapter isn't yet up to likable standards, but I'm trying my hardest to get there! Hope you enjoyed, pelase R&R! (Sorry for the lnog A/N, too!) See you next time!**


	7. Yellow

**Quick Note; This took much more effort than I would have wished to both write and submit- a few technocalities popped up, and I had to resort to alternate means to get this submitted-but all in all, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Personally, a lot could have been expanded on my behalf, I think, but I hope you all find it enjoyable. I'll keep it short, this quick note, so I shan't delay your wait, which I'm terriably sorry for, any longer. Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer- no, thank you...**

**Yellow**

His head, and clothes for that matter, were soaked to the bone. His scruffy, brown hair had become several shades darker as each tiny strand clung to his head, dripping wet like a dog's fur. His face was both tired and worn, and dark circles closed around his eyes. They themselves were blood-shot, the veins showing, making him a truly fearful sight. His mouth, usually curved in a large grin, lacked the smile this morning. Mist and rain covered the sky, leaving the entire scenery to be just a blended mass of gray. The grass clung heavily to the dirt with dew holding it down. Mud sloshed at his feet as slowly he dragged along, set affront as he lead, along with the other three knight companions of his, hundreds of citizens, all dressed in their finest despite the weather. The occasion was more important as mud soaked itself into their black clothing.

It was the king of Konoha's funeral.

* * *

The cling of a fork sounded through the, otherwise, silent hall. A hand quickly found itself over the mouth of a quivering lip. Hinata's eyes were wide and glistening as a thin layer of water quickly covered them, the shock leaving her mouth gaped slightly, though covered by her pale hand. Hanabi was also frantically twitching her eyes from the messenger to her father, then to Hinata and finally back to her father. Hiashi held no emotion other than his usual sternness which always remained present on his face. He slowly put down his breakfast fork, nodding to let the servant know they could leave and report further throughout the castle the disturbing news.

Hinata, suddenly flushed by emotion, lifted herself quickly, her chair screeching backwards. The table's eyes focused on her. Hinata, keeping her eyes to the ground as they searched frantically, merely muttered out an apology as she then turned and fled down the hallway. She raced up the stairs, but the flight was so large she collapsed halfway to the top, falling to her knees as tears sprang from her eyes.

She felt strange, a deep pang of regret despite not knowing the king personally. She had never met the man, but suddenly felt overwhelming grief for the man and, most of all, his country which would now grieve over the great loss. From all she had learned, he was a great king and led the country to the best of his extent. But now…he was gone.

Hours later, when the sun had gone down, Hinata had gathered up her feeble strength and managed to make her way slowly to her room, only to resume her collapsed crying on her soft bed. Tears streamed down her face, but no over-emotional wails were sounded. Instead, she merely sang out a few subtle sniffs. Finally, her clear tears sent her drifting off to a dreamless sleep as her worries faded, leaving only a strand of pity for the devastated country.

* * *

Kiba watched with pity as Naruto moped at the side of his bed. A maid had joined the two, commanding Naruto to dress for the day. Naruto had managed to hoist himself into a sitting position, but could do no more than that. Kiba, too delved into pity for the boy, didn't bother leaving his station, the guard post of the bed, as Naruto stared blankly at the poorly lit floor. The dim room with only a fading candlelight didn't help matters much, Kiba then concluded.

After a few minutes, Kiba couldn't take the pathetic sight any longer, and walked over to lift Naruto up by his arm. He shoved the boy forward, who merely stumbled a bit before remaining completely still and leaning dangerously to one side, towards the dresser. Kiba quickly raced over and caught him before he collapsed.

"C'mon, Naruto. You got to recover. Today's the banquet in your dad's name. Just…attend it, alright?"

Naruto's brows furrowed slightly, but otherwise he showed no movement. He managed to straighten himself up, but remained still otherwise. Kiba, sighing, left Naruto and caught two maids in the hall, commanding them to help Naruto out. As the days had passed, many maids found themselves fearful of the blonde boy; the fact his eyes had permanently formed rings that declared his inner anger for the world scared many. Most avoided him now.

However, these maids simply nodded and rushed off to obey their command. Kiba, meanwhile, sighed and continued walking off. His feet carried him to the extensive and elaborate shrine of the kings. Further on, past the temple where he courteously prayed and lit a small candle, he found himself in the royal gardened cemetery. There, he easily made his way to the most recent grave. All formality was washed away as he sat down beside the grave, pulled some grass to fiddle with, and turned to face the grass.

"Why'd you leave," he whined, sounding much like a little boy complaining to his mother about unfair bullies at a park. "Because of you, I have to deal with your kid now…"

Silence filled the graveyard, and soon only bird's chirps were heard in the village.

* * *

"Hold that position."

Hinata squirmed slightly, wishing greatly to scratch an itch on her torso's side. However, she remained perfectly postured as the painter continued to paint. He was very slow, but Hinata respected him greatly. Many times he had been called upon by her father to paint portraits of the royal family, which she found extraordinary because he was the same age as her. He had been painting since a small child and was well known around the royal family. However, he wasn't as greatly respected for his personality as his art, for he was quite blunt and frequently got in trouble for his mouth. Had her father ever met him in person rather than call upon him to paint simply to update the halls with portraits, Hiashi might not have taken such a liking to the painter.

"Um, S-Sai-kun…I-I need t-to"

"Please, Miss Hyuuga, stay still."

Hinata quickly silenced herself, blushing as she felt rude now for interrupting the artist. Silence filled the chamber and Hinata lifted her chest. The dress she wore was an odd kimono. White, as expected since her father (or so she had been told) picked it out himself, but the obi had been tied much too tight, feeling like a corset (an odd fashion of the northern countries that Hyuuga's rarely mingled with. Hinata had had the pleasure, or punishment, of trying on one of their dresses. She found them near impossible to breathe in). Her hair, neatly pulled back into many intricate accessories ranging from flowers to pins, thanks to Tenten, started to loosen at the back of her neck, causing heat to build up as well as sweat.

Hinata held back a sigh, rolling her eyes to the window to peer outside. However, Sai caught this, obviously working on that very detail, and quickly snapped, in his monotonous voice, "Please return your eyes to their original position."

Hinata quickly conformed. She silently thanked the heavens when the door burst open and Neji walked in, snatching Sai's attention away. She took this quick second to scratch the abominable itch. Neji turned to Sai.

"Are you almost done, Sir Sai?"

Sai smiled, his eyes squinting shut as he did so.

"Yes, just a final detail and it shall be complete."

Neji continued to give Sai a cold, ruthless stare. Hinata, frankly, couldn't blame him. She had warmed up to Sai enough to know he meant well, though his intentions never seemed it. He was odd in the seemingly had no emotions, but she wasn't bothered by this much. However, his smile… It always seemed fake. No matter how hard he tried or how sincere he meant it to feel, it never looked that way. Something about it always left a mistrustful air floating about him. As Sai returned to the painting, Hinata quickly gathered back into the original pose. A minute later and Sai declared he was done. Neji strolled over to Hinata, smiled and bowing as he greeted her. Hinata did the same in return, and then turned to Sai.

"Thank you, Sir Sai, for abiding to my father's request and enduring my presence for your portrait."

Once more, Sai smiled.

"It was no trouble at all. I enjoy painting Miss Hyuuga; a certain charm about you is very pleasant."

Turning, he bowed to Neji.

"And good day to you, over-protective knight."

And with that, he turned to leave, while Neji threatened to explode.

"Over-protective- the nerve!"

Hinata giggled.

"Neji-kun, he means well. He simply…calls people by what they are. If I were you, I'd take it as a compliment."

Neji, grumbling under his breath, turned away from Sai's fleeting direction.

"Is there anything in particular you wished me for, Sir Neji?"

Hinata said, returning to her formal tongue. Neji, still looking off in another direction, shrugged his shoulders.

"Not generally."

He turned to face her.

"Though Tenten beckons for you; the feast to be held in honor of Konoha's suffering is to be held tonight."

Hinata's smile vanished.

"Ah, of course."

A small spin-off, it was traditional for, the week from the late king's death, for there to be held a feast to accommodate his passing. Many other countries also held smaller feasts to mourn alongside their neighboring country. Hyuuga was one to uphold such a tradition, naturally.

"Very well then; I'll be there shortly."

* * *

Anger grew in Kiba. It had been a month since the death of their king, and his son still wept. Not so much as weeping as a silent moping that left him a zombie, dragging his feet through the hallways occasionally when he felt like moving from his bed. He ate less and bathed even fewer times. Kiba rolled his eyes in disgust as once more Naruto poked his early morning meal with his fork, uninterested in the food. Kiba, being the only one present beside a chamber maiden who was simply refreshing the candles along the wall, strode over to his future king and, as swift as his knight skills trained him to be, swung Naruto onto the floor. The two both fell over, Kiba pressing Naruto to the ground with his arms pinned down. Naruto showed no interest or expression in the sudden change. That is, until Kiba punched him.

Naruto's eyes then widened, showing the red veins that resulted from his lack of sleep. His teeth snapped into a snarl, a quick reaction showing his irritation.

"What the hell are you doing? Have you lost your mind, Kiba?"

"No, but you damn well have, Naruto!"

Naruto cursed, thrashing wildly to release himself from Kiba's grip.

"Address your superiors…" He grunted, and then raised his head to head-butt Kiba, which sent him flying off him. "…properly!"

Kiba, using once hand to rub his head and the other to throw punches at the now advancing Naruto, spat back his reply, his own growl threatening Naruto's snarl.

"Superiors? I wasn't aware we weren't alone!"

Naruto, angered further, sent a kick to Kiba's head, which sent him flipping to the ground. As he advanced, however, Kiba threw his own kick to Naruto's knees, sending Naruto to the ground as well. The two then set out with their hands, pushing each other to gain the advantage, all the while spitting insults at each other.

"You've got a lot of nerve, dog-breath!"

"Well, on normal situations I'd take that as a compliment. But, seeing as how it's coming from a whiny boy like you, it's very degrading!"

A punch was thrown, and now Naruto had a bloody nose and Kiba had a cut lip. Kiba grabbed at Naruto's collar, throwing Naruto off him until his head banged into a nearby pillar. Kiba, panting, attempted to stand, but found the effort too straining and instead remained still. Panting, Naruto didn't even attempt to raise himself.

"Wh…what are you thinking…Kiba…" Naruto mumbled between breaths.

Kiba, catching his breath before speaking, turned to face the defeated Naruto.

"I'm thinking…that if I'm going to follow…this new king…in place of the old, he better…grow a pair and get over…this obstacle in his path…to glory. Naruto… We all are sad from the loss, but you, especially, have to overcome it. If you don't pull yourself together…this country will go down with you."

There was a long, silent pause. Finally, Kiba sighed, lifted himself up, and handed a hand to Naruto. Naruto looked up, stared, and then took the offered help, raising himself up.

"Well, Kiba. I appreciate your helpful words, but I gotta say…wasn't there an easier way to get the point across?"

Kiba chuckled, looked at his friend, and gave him a wicked grin.

"There probably was, but I felt like punching you for the hell of it."

* * *

The halls of Konoha were clean. They remained clean thanks to the servants, a numerous amount, and also because of the care the maidens of the house put into keeping the halls clean. The maidens, who take residence in the courters provided for them, come from wealthy families. Suitable for knights, dukes, and even princes not entitled to the throne, the maidens are known as simply that; the maidens.

Despite taking up residence in the castle, they are only a few steps above knights and common folk, simply richer and socially more powerful. Most are raised proper with the best education. Many marry off to be simple trophy wives, beautiful brides of esteemed men who wish for handsome heirs, though a few do follow their own paths of their choice. Though difficult, if one can get a pardon from the king himself, they can enter any field of career they wish.

This was such the case for Sakura, a friendly and respectable maiden of Konoha. She was among the most well known of the maidens, and easily the one most offered proposals, only rivaled by the also infamous Ino. Sakura, known for many things, one being her short, cherry blossom pink hair, was recently strolling down one of these clean halls. She had been doing so recently quite often, hoping by miraculous chance she would stroll into someone of importance, and interest, that would occupy her boring days. A simple conversation was all she was hoping for, in order to escape her drawn out days in the library as she studied the field of medical aid. Luckily, today seemed formidable in her favor as, turning down one hall, she managed to run into none other than the new king himself. Smiling to herself, she adjusted a strand hair, pinning it behind her ear along with the rest which was loose, and strolled over to the unsuspecting king.

The fabrics on her red dress were silent, only making the smallest noise as they swished around her feet. Her slippers, tiny beads embedded into the toes, also made little noise. The corset, along with her holding her breath, easily kept her breathing light and inaudible. Her stealth skills matched that of a knight, or so she awarded herself as such, and she felt very proud the moment her tap sent the king shivering up his spine.

Naruto quickly turned around, fear glistening in his eyes for a split second before he recognized the smiling face.

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura, laughing, let out a small squeal when Naruto raised her in the air, twirling her around him.

"You, sir, seem absolutely blissful this morning! I wonder what caused such a change to your downfall attitude upon recent."

Naruto chuckled, his eyes shifting to the side.

"Well, you know; pick a good enough fight and the senses get knocked right back into you!"

Sakura lifted a hand to cover her mouth as she giggled further. Calming down, she then proceeded to a proper bow, which Naruto returned with a mock bow. Sakura, still smiling, lifted to her hand to further examine the cuts and scars.

"You must have gotten yourself in one hell of a brawl, Naruto. These look awfully fresh, too. Like…this morning, almost." Her quiet demeanor turned into fear as she exclaimed quickly, "Were you attacked? An assassination, perhaps? Is the killer or attacker still loose? Should we alert the guards? I'll go right a-"

Naruto's hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. Chuckling lightly, he looked her straight in the eye. "Sakura, I'm fine. No, it wasn't an assassination. Just a, uh, good ol' sparring, that's all."

Kiba, hidden behind a corner, held his hand to his mouth to muffle his chuckles. He watched as Sakura, calmed now, took the offered arm that Naruto presented to her and together they strolled further down the hall, laughing as they did. Kiba smiled to himself, knowing full well Naruto's recovery would speed several times faster with help, especially hers.

* * *

Hinata sighed. Another dress-fitting. Once a year, dresses were order, all in the traditional white fabrics, but recently her father had told her to pick out something…colorful. This had shocked her, even more so than the fact that dress-fittings didn't occur until further into the year. It had been, she would admit, exciting to try on the large selection of colorful dresses brought to her. Hanabi and Tenten also accompanied her, and the three easily picked out between the most elaborate and beautiful from the trashy and cheap ones. Neji stood outside, watching guard, but all could tell he grew jealous of their fun and the fact they wouldn't allow him in.

Tenten was tugging at a green kimono's fabric, observing its dexterity. Hanabi pulled on dangling ribbons that hung from an odd shoe, a pointed style most likely from the north. Hinata, reaching for an intricate obi, was interrupted when a servant, holding a pillow which upon it laid a letter, entered the room. She lifted her hand, gracefully accepting the letter as the servant left. Hanabi giggled as the ribbon came apart, while Tenten sighed in boredom of the fabric, until they noticed the letter in Hinata's hands.

"What's that, nee-san?"

Hinata quickly ripped the seal off the envelope, after observing the stamp to be from Konoha.

"It's from the royal family of Konoha. But…what could they possibly want from me?"

She unfolded the letter, reading it to herself. Hanabi and Tenten quickly rose, scurrying over to Hinata like two excited children interested in what their mother had just received, even if it did not pertain to them.

Hinata's eyes grew wide.

"I-it's an invitation…to spend the summer in Konoha!"

* * *

Two weeks prior

Kiba watched as Naruto and Sakura continued to laugh. They sat under a blossom tree, on a stone bench, in one of the many courtyards. Kiba was well hidden in the shadows, his body leaning against the wall with his arms crossed across his chest. He rolled his eyes when Naruto lifted his hand, plucking a 

blossom, and stroking it into Sakura's hair. He found the move…cheesy. Akamaru, lazily sleeping beside him, grunted a low growl to show that he, too, agreed that the move was practically outdated.

Kiba, sighing as he felt this had gone on long enough, decided to intervene. He casually strolled into the sun's rays, immediately causing attention to turn to him. Akamaru lifted himself, following his master.

"Well, what do you know? I come out for a stroll, and instead, I find…you two."

Kiba did little to hide his annoyance. Being the personal body guard of Naruto not only meant following him, but also watching his every move, or most of them at least. This proved to be problematic, for Kiba not only felt sick but also slightly disturbed when he was, by duty, forced to witness Naruto's flirtatious moves on Sakura of the maidens.

The two, surprised by Kiba's sudden presence, quickly put distance between the two of them as they scooted backwards, Naruto coughing to clear his throat as he greeted Kiba with a quick head bow.

"So, uh, wh-what brings you here, Ki-Sir Kiba?"

Kiba raised an eyebrow, looking between the two of them, the nervous couple trying desperately to look normal, which backfired and left them more suspicious than before. Kiba leaned against the tree, waiting to see what petty excuses the two could come up with. However, his fun was stopped when, from the opposite shadows of Kiba's own, Sasuke came forth.

The black knight, his crisp presence sending Akamaru back and Kiba as well, also left Sakura's eyes fleeing to the floor to avoid his gaze. Sasuke noticed this, but ignored it. He, instead, turned to Naruto, ignoring Kiba completely, which made Kiba mumble unpleasant insults that were meant for Sasuke.

"It is the council's decision that you are to wed within the season, if not by winter then at least."

"Within the-wed? Those stuck up bastards want me to marry? My father just-"

"I am aware, as is the council, of the late king's departure," Sasuke said, his cold voice somewhat forceful as he silently challenged Naruto's uproar.

"But, it is the council's wish that you wed within the time frame. They ask that you yourself send out cordial invitations for certain maidens within the standards to accompany you and stay the summer in Konoha. There, I am entitled to inform you of these plans. _Therefore," _Sasuke continued, the sharpness in his voice that clearly spoke his irritation growing by the minute. "You are to start on these invitations immediately so they may be sent forth by tomorrow, noon-high."

"Noon-high!" Naruto took in a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. He rose suddenly, startling both Sakura and Kiba.

"Fine, I'll get to them _at once."_

With that, Naruto took his leave. Once he had disappeared, Sasuke's semi-glare landed on Sakura, who was breathing rather quickly.

"I, um, must return to my studies." With that, she frantically left, her dress swishing as she fled from the eyes of Sasuke. The only ones left were Kiba, Akamaru, and Sasuke.

A moment passed and neither moved. Finally, Sasuke turned to leave. But, Kiba's words caught him.

"How long did you wait there, until the right moment for you to intervene and ruin the moment? Perhaps I had beaten you to it, so you felt now would be as good as any time, seeing as how your chance to disturb the moment was ruined by my own intervening."

Kiba smirked when he saw Sasuke's shoulders puff up, showing his annoyance. Sasuke turned the side of his head, only a slither of it visible to Kiba.

"If you're inferring that I hid within the shadows like some _mutt_ waiting for my chance to-"

"-That's exactly what I'm inferring."

Kiba took a step forward, Akamaru beside him in an instant with a snarl plastered on his snout.

"I'm warning you now, Sasuke. Whatever plans you have to mess with Naruto, I can't just sit back and allow them."

"Coming from the supposed protector of Naruto, it's only expected," Sasuke snarled in return. "However, I can't help but notice you yourself watch from the shadows when you know very well what is going on is not at all allowed. Whatever you benefit from this affair, I could care less. Simply keep to your business, and I'll keep to mine."

Sasuke waited for no further reply as he then strolled off, leaving a confused Akamaru who looked between his master and the spot where the black knight had recently occupied. Kiba's fists tightened, his brows dropping to give his face a more menacing look, expressing his anger.

"_Keep to your business and I'll keep to mine? _What's that jerk plotting?"

Kiba then turned to follow Naruto, seeing as the man would need someone to complain this to. He also needed to clear his mind of whatever treachery Sasuke was plotting. Knowing that man, he probably said all those things just to rouse up Kiba's suspicion, which was perfectly logical. Kiba shook his head, sending Sasuke to the back of his mind. As he strolled from corridor to corridor, he couldn't help but think of the upcoming hell of a summer he was about to receive in place of Sasuke.

"An entire summer of nothing but snotty-nosed rich girls all trying to scheme their way into the heart of Naruto. Where exactly is the fun in that?"

Akamaru barked in reply, as though to retort, _well, you said that last time, but look what happened?_

Kiba stopped, his eyes wandering into his imagination as he recalled the magical night of the ball. His memory was slightly fuzzy, but not nearly enough for him to forget any detail of his angels face. Something about her presence demanded to never be forgotten.

"Come to think of it…she's the Hyuuga Heiress, isn't she? That makes her a prime candidate for Naruto's future wife!"

His exclamation of joy faltered, and his face switched to a look of horror.

"That makes her a prime candidate for Naruto's future wife!"

He collapsed to his knees, his head settled between them and his chest. Akamaru, whining, licked his elbow as a sign of comfort. Suddenly, Kiba' head perked up.

"But…what about Sakura? It's plain as day to see their affair! Naruto loves her, and the council surely knows that! If, by some off chance, I could somehow convince the council to accept Sakura as Naruto's wife, the future Konoha queen…I mean, she's more than qualified. She's smart as hell, pretty enough, and her family certainly isn't a bunch of peddlers."

Kiba's head fell back to its earlier position.

"But that's insane. Not only would the council not listen to me, but there's no way I could convince them. And you can just forget about trying to get Lady Hinata to fall for me, let alone marry. Even if I could convince the council, I _highly _doubt I could convince Lord Hiashi to let me take her as a wife, let alone become king of the Hyuuga kingdom! And she doesn't even love me! Ah, I'm a fool; fantasizing over a girl I've barely known. And what for? Because she showed kindness like no other? I have no reason to pledge love to that girl…no reason except my fool-heartedness. "

Kiba began to laugh hysterically at the thought, Akamaru whining sympathetically beside him. Kiba turned, placing a hand on his pet's head. He stroked the white dog's fur, smiling sadly to himself.

"Oh well. At any case, we'll get to see her again. Doubt she'll remember me like I remember her. I'll be lucky if she remembers to address me as a knight! Still, as long as I get to see her again…I'll be fine. We'll be fine, right boy?"

Akamaru gave a reply in a lick to Kiba's face, which he took as a yes.

* * *

Hinata placed her slipper foot firmly on the ground, feeling the rough rocks through the thin layer of cloth that separated the two. The ground in Konoha was much more different than the smooth sands of Suna. She gazed around her, amazed at the scenery of tall trees, ranging from pines to birches to simple oaks. Hinata, her mouth gaped, fell even more in love with the giant stone castle before her, plagued with flowers and colors and decorations galore.

Left breathless, Hinata didn't know where to begin as she strolled from her carriage, entering the main courtyard of the castle grounds. As her eyes fluttered around her, she took in the sight, smiling to herself.

She knew she'd enjoy her stay in Konoha.

**A/N; It's finally submitted! I hope you all aren't too mad at the wait, and possibly displeasing chapter, but hopefully at least some of you enjoyed it! I do say, I'm not as pleased with it as a few others-I felt I rushed Naruto's angst. I had originally meant his gradual getting-over of his father's death to be slower and more realistic, but due to shortness and the story's need to move along plot-wise much faster, I had to quicken the pase. Im' also dispelased at Sakura's introduction-I do like the idea of the 'maidens' and prefer it to an older design of explanation I had in mind, but it's still a bit rough. More development on the character's behalfs is caleld for. My original planning mgiht be thrown off schedule, and I'll probably add more than originally planned, which will be good in some cases (Easier understanding) as well as bad (side-tracking of the plot; I have a tendacy to do this...)**

**On a lgihter note, the Sai scene-this was not in my original plans, but after a few chapters, I thoguh up the idea. To be honest, Sai wasn't to come in until much later, but my original rough draft of the chapter had very minimal appearance of Hinata (You can tell, too, that her part in this chapter was small sicne I had to resort to near filler moments that she appeared.) Sai will probably return much later on, because I barely scratched his character in this chapter and I'd like to have more of his crude humor and such better portrayed, rather than rushedly entered in merely to help space out Kiba's parts.**

**For, indeed, Hinata was originally only to have the beginning scene (Where she learns of the death) and an original scene where she recieves the letter, which I alternately got rid of because it seemed to cheesy. I also had her final two paragraphs, but this did no justice because Kiba had too many parts (msotly to make up for his alck in earleir chapters) and I needed somethnig between them, hence Hinata's fillers.**

**Oh dear, I've typed too much! I doubt anyone will read this, but it feels good to submit it all! Anyway, hope some of you enjoyed, pelase R&R!! Thank you! (Sorry!)**


	8. Orange

* * *

**Quick Note; Ah! **I actually typed this, and the next chapter, up the day after submitting my last chapter, and had them completely edited to my liking a few days later, but forgot to post! SORRY! Lots of things came up, and this slipped my mind! I feel horrible and hope no one is too angry at the wait, which turned out to be unneccessary! Sorry! I'm only gonig to post one chapter, and the next, despite being done, will be up in about a week. That way, people should be able to not mistakingly skip the chapter (I find that I do that a lot; when someone posts two chapters, unless I get the e-mail saynig so, normally I just by myself go and check their profile to see if there's a new chapter. But sometimes I'll forget which number I left off on, and I accidentaly skip one! TT) Okay, without much more delay, here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer-no

**

* * *

Orange**

Hinata was gawking at the giant structure that was the Konoha castle, home to the royals. She had heard little about the castle, other than it was magnificent and large. The stone was a brownish tan color, with many pebbles making it up. Flowers and vines grew along the walls, bringing color to it. The village, or kingdom as Hinata found it more proper to describe as, was filled with noise and scents she had never experienced. Colors made up houses, from red roofs to teal gardens. It was truly exquisite.

The castle was atop a small hill, several fields from the village itself that lay below it. The main castle sat in the front, with only a large courtyard separating itself and the main gate, then leading to the single road to the village. Behind that were several buildings set aside from the castle, filled with who knew what and used for multiply reasons. Scattered between the buildings, most only one story with a few towers scattered on the larger bungalows, were several courtyards, each with a unique style or center piece. Behind the castle was wide, spread out fields, with a forest circling around those and continuing out to trap the entire village. However, several fields still lay in its path, with green grass to golden stalks.

However, she found herself outside the towering wall of the palace, looking in through the opening that permitted her entrance to the kingdom's castle. She strolled, servants quickly gathering her bag, which left them in shock as they were used to princesses carrying with them several bags filled with nothing but the richest silks and perfumes. Hinata, catching the single servant carrying her, surprisingly as well light, bag immediately rushed to him. She gently smiled and reported his services weren't necessary, other than showing her which way to her room. Shocked speechless, the servant didn't move.

He jumped, however, as a voice greeted the two.

"Don't trouble yourself."

She turned at the voice, which was both sharp and deep. Taking in the sight of who had spoken, she found the voice rather matched. The man before her had a look that clearly said he was bored. His eyes were relaxed, the lids low, and seemed to stare off uncaringly. His hair was pulled back into a spiky ponytail, kept from the face. His helmet, decorated intricately with painted designs and perfectly shaped metal, showing his status was high. However, he carried it loosely, as though he was completely unprepared for an attack. Seeing the lack of a sword by his side, Hinata concluded he probably was. Still, he wore the armor of a knight of Konoha, equipped with the swirled leaf symbol. Hinata stumbled out a small greeting, cracking slightly.

"G-good e-e-evening, s-sir knight."

For, indeed, it was evening. Though the sun had barely begun to set, it would have seemed out of place to say 'good morning'. Expecting a greeting in return, Hinata bowed, keeping her head low and awaiting his own bow as a way of saying, 'you may lift your head and excuse yourself, milady.'

However, in return, the knight merely turned to walk away and called back, "Follow me to your room."

As she followed the knight, passing many outside corridors and hallways that were opened to courtyards, she soon realized he was not a proper knight, or at least one that commonly practiced courtship. She found his tone was quite disrespectful, and any other regular princess or heiress of any birth similar to her own would be very much insulted, almost to the point that they would have one of their body guards personally deal with the knight while they went to complain to the king. However, Hinata was neither as rash as those other princesses, nor did she possess a bodyguard (Every knight had been occupied, or so she had been told when she questioned her father. Even Neji had been sent on a mission the night before her departure, so she never got to completely say good bye to him, either). Still, she felt wrong thinking ill of the knight that showed her kindness by directing her to her room, so she smiled and followed him, trying her best to enjoy his silent company.

Finally, they reached a small door in one of the scattered castle buildings, separated from the main castle as many were but still close enough to make a short walk to it. She bowed once more, thanking the knight, and he silently turned to leave.

"Um, w-wait! I-I didn't c-catch your n-name, s-sir."

She felt he deserved proper thanks, despite his lack of attitude towards anything proper, and this could only be accomplished with his name.

"Shikamaru."

He bluntly spoke, continuing to walk as he did so. She watched as he left, feeling slightly estranged at the encounter, but smiling none the less. She decided against shouting out a good-bye, with full usage of his name, because it was pointless now that he was several yards away and currently cleaning his ear. She slowly turned the knob to her room, opening it and entering a room of pure color. The walls were wood, with carvings decorating every angle. Large windows on either side of her room, curtains of pure green satin hiding the sunshine. The comforter matched, a slightly lighter shade of green with elaborate designs sewed into the hems, beads dangling from the edges. It was a canopy, with more satin cloth hanging down, covering all sides of her bed. An oak desk sat in a corner, paper and pen, with ink, already prepared for her. A large rug was centered on the floor, tying in gold and browns and greens.

Hinata smiled, setting her bag down bedside the small end table, also provided beside the bed. She smoothed out the comforter, then elegantly sat down, taking in the sight of the room, smiling to herself as she then fell backwards and curled up in excitement at finally being in Konoha. She soon fell asleep, into a light dreamless sleep that was awoken when a knock came at her door. Opening it, she found the same knight from before, Shikamaru, who stood with little emotion other than boredom in her doorway. She coughed a little, clearing her voice, and mustered up a small whisper, "G-good evening, s-sir Shikamaru."

He, once again, skipped the formal addressing and merely said, "Tonight's dinner will be done shortly. I am to escort you to the dining chamber at once."

She didn't complain or make any comment, but simply followed Shikamaru. Once again, they silently stalked in each other's shadows, him leading as she followed. It wasn't until they passed many courtyards that she decided to try and strike conversation, seeing as how she didn't know how much longer it would be until they reached the dining hall. Brushing her hands over her simple, white kimono that she had arrived in, as though brushing away non-existent dust, she began.

"S-so, um, wh-what is that courtyard called?"

Hinata's feeble finger pointed in a random direction, hoping her aim would be true. It may have sounded like a lame conversation starter, but as long as she got them talking that was fine. Luckily, she seemed to have accurately pointed, for when they both turned to see where her finger darted to, they came across a vast courtyard with many hedges forming a maze, roses lining the walkways. As it turned out, Hinata's small guest house was at the direct back of the castle grounds, and this courtyard seemed to be the border before it opened into the giant fields and, further out, forests.

"That? It's a courtyard in honor of one of the old queens."

Hinata smiled, admiring the garden. The roses were all bright red, but only half in bloom with the season. The hedges were neatly trimmed, and the stone walkway was a marvel itself with the many colored stones, all polished to perfection.

"She must have had beautiful tastes and been a wonderful queen."

"Not necessarily. She ended up having an affair on the king with a peasant and she was beheaded. The country she was from was shamed and later defeated by Konoha, becoming the southern border villages."

Hinata's blush and pure joy at the garden's sight vanished. She gulped and silently followed Shikamaru; any chance of conversation had just died, along with Hinata's appreciation of anything other than her own feet, which she stared at the entire walk to the dining hall.

* * *

Kiba stood beside Naruto as the guests filed in. Each princess was accompanied by the assigned knight, hand-picked by Naruto (Actually, Naruto left it to Kiba, who felt too lazy to go through the lists of princesses and pick out a knight for each one, so he left it to Shikamaru, who was even lazier and simply made every knight draw a straw with a princess's name on it), and each one graciously was courted by their knight, walking alongside them until they reached the table, in which the knight pulled out their chair and left them sit and mingle amongst themselves.

Kiba found this incredibly boring. He was standing, silently, beside Naruto, who had faked a smile and was now greeting every princess that hastily came to make her known to the newly appointed king. Kiba knew he wasn't required; there was more than enough knights standing against the wall, and he was almost positive no one was going to attack at this moment. Any hired kidnappers of the princess's fathers would wait until the king was alone before they kidnapped him and forced him to marry their daughters. This, sadly, wasn't uncommon, and Kiba expected several princesses to attempt this. Just not tonight.

With this positive thought in mind, Kiba felt reassured that his presence wasn't obligatory and therefore felt safe leaving Naruto's side. He made sure to avoid eye-contact with Naruto, because the moment the king saw his friend abandoning him to the fate of the girls, he would immediately plea silently with pitiful looks that Kiba couldn't refuse. Therefore, he made a quick getaway, slipping between princesses.

Kiba made it to the doorway when it opened suddenly, his hand not having reached the door handle. He immediately jumped back. In walked Shikamaru, his bulking armor obviously uncomfortable, at least to him, for he kept messing with it and scratching his collar. Kiba was lucky enough to have worn one of his nicer pair of _umanori hakama,_ with dark blue and gold embedded to it. His sword was latched to his side, and his kimono was a lighter blue. His hair, even, had been washed and combed, or at least had been attempted to, and didn't look half as mangled as usual.

Shikamaru, however, had dressed in his full armor to show his position as the general of the knights; probably a requirement being the head of the regiment of knights that had been forced to attend this ball as mere decoration to line the empty walls. Apart from Kiba and Sasuke, who had been upgraded to personal bodyguards of the royal family, Shikamaru was the topmost knight. Kiba stood to the side, watching as Shikamaru walked, stopped, and turned to face him. Both bowed, a silent gesture suggesting 'good evening', and then Shikamaru relaxed into his uncaring position. Kiba swore he saw something small and white it fly behind Shikamaru, but it disappeared into the crowd of girls, so he lost sight of whomever or whatever it was. Kiba shrugged, assuming it was just another princess. Shikamaru must have grabbed the shortest straw, Kiba thought.

"Well, how's Naruto been holding out?"

Shikamaru asked. His tone suggested that he really didn't care either way, but it'd be nice to talk to someone. To be honest, Shikamaru had found the timid thing that he had to escort quite interesting; not only did she barely talk, but she didn't hammer on endlessly about Naruto, as other princesses had in the past during their visits at Konoha. Though, despite how interesting she was, she still didn't talk, or attempt to keep conversations alive. Then again, he didn't do a much better job.

"Naruto's been swamped by those witches. Nothing we can do for him anymore."

They both looked with pity at Naruto. They caught glimpses of what could have been silent pleas, but every time he attempted to mouth 'save me' another princess would appear and he'd have to resort to fake smiling again. Shikamaru and Kiba both looked away so they wouldn't feel guilt, but it didn't help.

Kiba scanned the room quickly, searching for a certain someone. He knew for a fact she had been invited; he had glimpsed at Naruto's invitation list and seen her name clearly towards the top. While Kiba searched, Naruto managed to push through the girls and catch himself a glass and fork, lightly tapping them to each other to gather everyone's attention.

"May the feast begin," He said rather hastily.

Each princess returned to a seat assigned to her, another job Naruto had been in charge with (and another he had dumped on Kiba, who had dumped on Shikamaru, who had already wasted too much energy in creating the named straws and therefore left it up to random by assigning a servant to place name tags down in every seat without care as to whom was by whom) and a knight stepped forward to politely seat her. Kiba took his own place beside Naruto at the front of the table and blindly reached for his fork to the left of him, his face looking at the ceiling to the right to ponder if he should excuse himself now before a herd of princesses came to ask Naruto for some trivial favor. He neglected to spot his fork and reached over to the person next to him instead, grabbing their spoon to the right of them. Unfortunately, he did not realize this and neither did his seat partner, who instinctively had grabbed his hand as well. Kiba, realizing his mistake, turned to face his victim and apologize, but the words were caught in his throat.

* * *

Hinata had snuck past Shikamaru the moment the door had opened. She was immediately lost in the crowd and regretted leaving his side, for she couldn't see him or anyone she knew (Not that she would know anyone, besides maybe Naruto). She did manage to catch a glimpse of Naruto, and a thought rushed through her that maybe she could greet him. However, she knew this would be impossible, because she'd have to catch his attention first, and with some many other young maidens clinging to his arm, that would be near impossible. So, instead, she squeezed her to way to the table and sat herself down where she found her name tag, close to the end of the table. She sighed, looking down as everyone else chattered away. When she heard Naruto's voice announce the feast to begin, she did not lift her head. She instead just instinctively reached for her spoon to begin with her soup. However, instead of grabbing the spoon, she felt something warm and softer under her hand. An instant later, she realized it was not a spoon, but a hand. Turning, she immediately leapt into a jumble of apologies, but stopped when she saw who it was.

"S-sir Kiba?"

Both merely stared for a moment, and then Hinata blushed and removed her hand, pulling it into her chest as she retreated. She then smiled and bowed her head, silently thanking the gods that she had found someone she knew. After a moment of blankness, Kiba replied with a bow of his own, followed by his cheeky smile.

"It's been a-ages, sir Kiba, since we last s-spoke, no?"

Hinata's attempt to make conversation seemed pitiful to her, but silently Kiba was mentally back-flipping at the sound of her voice, let alone this chance meeting.

"Yes, it has. I do hope you've enjoyed your stay in Konoha. We should definitely meet up again, for I'd hope to show you Akamaru."

Hinata perked up when he continued the conversation, and found herself much more relaxed as they entered a familiar subject.

"Yes, I-I'd very much like that. I hope Akamaru likes me, though."

Kiba laughed, assuring her Akamaru was very friendly.

"I tend to disagree. I've yet to see that dog friendly at all."

Hinata squeaked with shock while Kiba held back a snarl, immediately recognizing the voice. Turning in front of him, he saw the unpleasant sight of…Sasuke. The black knight wore just that; black, and he was delicately cutting with his fork and knife a piece of meat. Hinata quietly bowed her head, stumbling out a quick introduction.

"I-I'm Hyuuga H-Hinata, s-sir."

Sasuke didn't look up from his meal, nor return the bow. He simply spoke to Kiba, not making eye contact as he did.

"That dog seems rather untrained. It seems that when hunting, he steals prey of others. Not quite what I'd call trained. I think the poor thing should be put out from its misery, do us all a favor."

Kiba grew with rage, immediately recognizing the comment that wasn't directed at Akamaru at all, but instead himself.

Kiba was just about to snap back a comment when a louder, cheerful voice interrupted him.

"Hey, Hinata-san!"

Hinata and Kiba both turned to their right, meeting with Naruto, who sat at the end of the table, next to Kiba and Sasuke. Hinata squeaked again, quickly hiding her face in a napkin before muttering the quietest "Hello". Kiba looked, instead, next to Sasuke, immediately recognizing Sakura. Funny seeing her here, he thought. Then again, as a privilege of maidens of Konoha, they were allowed to attend balls and feasts. Kiba thought Ino would also be somewhere nearby, seeing as how the two were nearly inseparable.

"Hello, Sakura."

Sakura looked up from her soup, smiling as she greeted Kiba. Turning, she looked at Hinata, who was still focused on Naruto.

"Oh, Kiba, you must introduce me to your friend! She's absolutely adorable!"

Kiba blushed, feeling heat raise to his head. Coughing to clear his throat, he gestured to Hinata, who was also blushing and had turned her attention to Sakura.

"Sakura, this is Hyuuga Hinata, of the Hyuugas. We met at the ball, held in Hyuuga a few months back. Hinata-san, this is Haruno Sakura. She's one of Konoha's maidens."

Before Hinata could question exactly what that was, Sakura quickly read her confused expression and smiled warmly.

"I'm from a wealthy family. My family owns quite a lot of land to the north, and we're very famous for our crops and sales. Because of our constant donations to the kingdom and our political status, I am given the privilege to spend my days in one of Konoha's many guest houses. Therefore, I may study to follow whichever path of occupation I prefer. Most maidens of Konoha simply stay as royal daughters, married off to other wealthy noble families, most of the time knights with high enough status, but a few get permission from the king himself to follow their true desires."

Hinata merely nodded, returning to silently eating her soup. The conversation died between the six, until Naruto cheerfully asked Hinata about how Hyuuga had been, referring to the kingdom. She blushed and said it was doing well.

"Oh, please, tell us more! I myself have not seen Hyuuga, and I'd love to hear of it."

Hinata turned to Sakura, who had spoken. The girl came across very friendly, a bit straightforward, but meaning well. She was cheery, as though she felt nothing wrong, but her cheeriness seemed to be simply a thin layer lapping over a more serious tone. Her eyes were a beautiful mint green, and her hair was strangely enough pink. Hinata felt a pang of jealousy at the color that was embedded in each strand of the girls' hair. For as long as Hinata knew, her hair was the most color, her safe haven from the blinding white that surrounded her home. She had found it amazing when she had first seen Kiba and his red cheeks, but thought he was a rare case. She thought Konoha would be much duller, but…

It seemed everyone in Konoha was colorful.

However, at this thought, her eyes took her to Sasuke. Much to her horror, his eyes were already settled on her. They met, and she fell victim to his cold glare. She tried to look away, but felt herself trapped. Within a moment, she felt like she was choking. Was this some sort of power? She felt hatred…intent to kill coming from the man across her. Her hand reached up to her throat, grasping it. Everyone else was too indulged into conversation; apparently Naruto had taken over Hinata's job and was describing Hyuuga as best as his memory would allow him. Sakura was intently watching him, and Kiba seemed to also be listening, seeing if his own memory matched up to Naruto's description. No one noticed that…

"I don't suppose I could trouble his highness by stealing a dance with one of his close friends now, could I?"

Hinata immediately broke the stare as a hand clasped around her shoulder. Looking up, she met…nothing. Her eyes ended up meeting those of a covered knight'. His helmet was down and covering his face. He wore a few metal shoulder and arm pads, but otherwise wore an olive green hakama that also covered his skin. Everyone, or at least the six of them, turned to face the new knight. Hinata at first thought that none of them recognized this stranger, hence the silence. But, she was relieved when Naruto began to laugh and rose to greet the knight.

"Shino, I'm' surprised you didn't show yourself from the shadows earlier!"

Hinata looked from the knight to Naruto, and then to Kiba. Kiba looked slightly annoyed, but otherwise seemed familiar with the knight. He caught Hinata's glance and their eyes stayed locked for a moment. That is, until Hinata suddenly recalled Sasuke's own glare, which had stolen her eyes, and she immediately looked away, no longer trusting anyone. Naruto shook hands with the knight, who Hinata made note of that his name was Shino, and Naruto then turned to the side chamber, which was connected by large, open doorways that many princesses were already entering, escorted by knights who wished to steal a dance simply so they could forever say they managed to dance at least once with a princess. The princesses probably were accepting the offers simply because it gave them a chance to show off their years of practice to Naruto, who would no doubt be watching.

"I won't mind at all, Shino. If Hinata-san does not disagree, I myself shall find some lady to latch onto for a dance or two."

With that, Naruto left. Sakura herself waited a moment more before rising to mingle with a few girls in the corner, while Sasuke did not remove himself from his meat, which he slowly indulged in. Kiba, feeling awkward as he sat next to a stunned Hinata and a silent Shino, decided to find himself a nice corner to observe the two from, though making it look as though he himself was going to go find a lady to dance with.

Hinata, realizing she had kept this Shino waiting far too long and knowing it would be incredibly rude to refuse him after he politely asked and she had no real reason to reject him, quietly took his hand. He lifted her from her chair with incredible grace, and together they walked gracefully to the next chamber. There, He extended his hand, and she elegantly took it. They twirled a few times, until the song, which was beautifully played by select members of the Konoha orchestra, turned into a faster, more aggressive pace. At this, Hinata was thrown forward into the knight's chest, which caused her to blush. However, her feelings were immediately cleared when he whispered, only loud enough for her to hear, "Watch out for him."

Hinata's eyes widened, and at that moment they broke apart, spinning away as the dance suggested. Facing each other, she tried to look through the slits that allowed him to see, but only darkness was visible. They came together again, and she, just as quietly, asked, "W-what do you mean?"

"Stay away from him-Sasuke."

The dance continued merrily. Everyone around them was laughing and smiling rightly. However, the tone between these two was serious, and their faces, or the one that was visible, showed just this. Hinata gulped, coming in once more as he twirled her, in perfect synchronization with the other dancers.

"Why do you s-say that?"

* * *

Kiba stood in his dark corner, watching the couple dance. Shino was one of Kiba's closest friends, outside of Naruto and Shikamaru. The two had been constant rivals during their training, though only Kiba was very vocal of the challenges, and little had changed. Shino was very accomplished, and always had back-ups to his plans. However, Shino was very unsociable, which made his sudden request to dance with Hinata, whom anyone could tell was very important not to mention the heiress of Hyuuga, very odd indeed.

Kiba held back a growl when he saw Shino pull Hinata in closer, but immediately told himself there was no reason to be jealous. Hinata wasn't his, and it wasn't likely she ever would be.

_Not yet, anyway._

Kiba ignored the voice inside his head, instead focusing on Hinata's face. It had grown darker. Before, she had been smiling and blushing, but now she seemed very serious. He watched as once more they pulled in, and noticed her mumble something to him. That explained much, he thought. Whatever caused her to take a drastic change from happiness, it had something to do with whatever she was whispering to Shino.

He began to walk towards the couple. At first, he thought his intention was to find out what the two were discussing, but as soon as he reached the pair, he realized that all he wanted to do was dance with her. It was expectable, of course; he hadn't had to chance at the previous ball.

He tapped Shino's shoulder. Shino hesitated, and then turned, both eyes falling on Kiba as he took in the sight of the two. His face was slightly paler than normal, and his expression blank, but he turned to Hinata instead.

"May I have this dance?"

Hinata glanced at Shino one last time, and then turned to smile at Kiba.

"You may."

* * *

Sakura sighed. Naruto had yet to dance, and already many girls had swarmed around him, begging to have the first dance with him. He laughed as he shook his head, politely refusing them all and leaving many broken hearts to cry and comfort each other. Sakura sighed, turning back to the group she had come across. She didn't know any of the girls, save for one; her best friend, Yamanaka Ino.

Ino, like herself, was a maiden. However, Ino was like every other typical maiden-she merely wanted to marry a wealthy knight or duke and live happily rich silks and indulging herself in foreign fruits. Several times she had tried to persuade Sakura to see the light in such a relaxed life, but Sakura still preferred her own dream, and would always politely decline Ino's offer. At the moment, Ino was loudly arguing with the princesses about Naruto; Ino was quite blunt when speaking, and had no problem insulting anyone or everyone. She had nothing personally against Naruto, but found everyone's infatuations of him quite annoying.

"Yes, I suppose he is perfect, if you don't mind kissing a ramen-monster, that is!"

Ino's loud insults on the king were unnoticed by the several knights lining the walls, which Sakura was thankful for. Though nearly all of them knew Ino didn't mean to be cruel towards the king, it still wouldn't look too good if princesses noted that knights didn't respond to insults of their king.

Then again, an insult of the king by his own people wasn't a good impression either.

Sakura's eyes fluttered towards the wall, trying to spot out a knight she knew that might accept her offer for a dance, for she was bored stiff listening to Ino drone on. However, a tap on her shoulder froze all thoughts. Turning, she blushed a deep red and immediately felt awkward. Naruto was smiling right at her, his hand offered in a signal that spoke, "Will you dance with me?"

And he vocalized this very request a moment later.

Many girls surrounding them gasped and silence fell around half the room. Ino had even stopped talking, and all eyes were turned on Sakura. She grew nervous, and her eyes shifted to everyone starring at her.

"I-I…um, I g-gue-"

Sakura's hand was yanked from her jittering position and Naruto immediately led her to the middle of the room. There, he began to dance, gliding her and courting her as any princess would wish to be. Sakura soon forgot all about the glaring girls surrounding them and focused on simply their dance, enjoying every step of it.

* * *

Kiba positioned himself in front of Hinata, his hand both falling at her waist and high beside her own head. Her own hands fell upon his shoulder and connected with his. The dance began, and he led her into a dance. Her feet were graceful, making him feel rather clumsy. Still, he managed to never step on her feet. Her smile, which was soft and joyful, caused him to blush a light pink and look away. His eyes darted everywhere but her, but soon this task seemed too difficult and they fell back on her.

"Y-you're a lovely dancer."

The two broke apart to bow, which was accustom to the dance they danced to, and when her head resurfaced she was smiling even brighter.

"Thank you, sir Kiba."

Kiba's heart fluttered. Not only was his hand placed on her waist, but she had not stuttered once while saying his name. He tried not to show his enthusiasm, but his smile betrayed him.

"Wh-what's so funny?"

She grew concerned, thinking she had said something inappropriate, and her smile vanished, replaced with fear. He quickly reassured her it was nothing and then brought up once more the subject of Akamaru.

"You really should meet him, Milady! Ever since I told him about you, he's been eager to-"

Kiba caught himself, realizing he had just spoken a statement that could very well blow his cover. However, Hinata, as innocent as she was, continued to smile.

"That's fantastic! I'd really hoped he would be excited to meet me! I wasn't sure if he'd like me or not, but if you say he's eager to meet me, then I'm reassured!"

Kiba inwardly sighed; glad to have avoided a situation that would have, otherwise, been very difficult to explain. Feeling calmer, he continued to speak of Akamaru, until finally the two decided that Hinata would simply have to meet him herself to fully understand how great he was. The two danced through several dances without really realizing it. In fact, they as a couple danced more dances than anyone else, and barely recognized the change in tune as each song passed. Several people had stopped from their own dance to point and whisper of the two, but neither noticed. They were too busy speaking of things, laughing and getting along rather well.

It wasn't until Kiba's shoulder felt a tap did the two abruptly stop.

"I hate to break up this couple, but I was wondering if I, too, may enjoy a dance with Hinata-san."

Naruto smiled brightly at the two, and Kiba was forced to nod while Hinata bowed a greeting to Naruto. The two joined, and off they swept. Kiba was left to watch the two, his heart faltering a bit and his smile vanishing. She looked happy, he thought, before turning to sulk to his shadows once more.

"I'm surprised she let Naruto take your place, Kiba."

Kiba turned at the familiar, yet friendly, voice of Sakura. She was smiling, sitting in one of the chairs provided. She was rubbing her feet, which had grown sore from so much dancing, and was smiling exceptionally.

"What do you mean?"

Sakura giggled her face lighting up as she spoke.

"You two looked so happy, I'd thought she'd only dance with you tonight, other than that first dance with Shino-kun."

It was then that Kiba realized he and Hinata had danced for quite some time, and he couldn't recall a frown once, other than that scared expression when she misunderstood his smile. Now increasingly happy, his mind refused to even ponder on what emotions she might be experiencing with Naruto at that moment. He was so happy; he almost missed Sakura's next statement.

"She's such a doll! She's nothing like the other snooty girls who are bent on only seducing Naruto into impregnating them so they can claim to hold the kingdom's next heir and therefore be forced to wed him!"

Sakura's voice had slowly turned bitter, and Kiba's smile turned to a look of panic as he turned to see a slightly irritated Sakura watching Naruto and Hinata dance. Apparently, someone had been present during the many, _many _schemes being told of how every girl in the chamber would deviously trick Naruto into marrying them.

Kiba turned his attention back to Hinata, watching her glide. He hadn't paid much attention to her dancing before, when he was with her and not, but now that he did watch her…she was very well educated in that degree.

"You know, Kiba," Sakura began, having regained her cheerful self. "I was hoping to get away from the castle tomorrow, early in the morning. If I am to be swamped all summer by frivolous whores who wish nothing more than for me to spill all knowledge of Naruto, then I at least want to spend one day of it enjoying myself!"

Kiba hinted at the emphasis put on Sakura's descriptive word for the girls gathered around, and gulped as he quickly checked to make sure no one heard Sakura.

"I was planning on a picnic. I thought you and me, as well as Naruto, god knows he'll need the escape, and Ino and even Shikamaru could all enjoy a picnic. I suppose Sasuke should come along as well," Sakura added, blushing. It was all too well known of her and Ino's infatuation over the knight. But, recently, Sakura had shown less attraction to Sasuke, though Ino showed few signs of letting up on him. "And, I also thought we should invite Hinata. She's so kind, and I'm' sure she'd fit right in with our group!"

Kiba nodded, showing his approval of the plan. Looking around, he caught sight of Shino, once more leaning against the wall. He was still stirred by the look on Hinata's face during their dance, and decided tomorrow would be just as well a time to find out as any.

"Let's invite Shino, as well."

Sakura, oblivious to the sternness that now overcame Kiba's voice, clapped her hands together.

"Oh, of course! How could I forget him! Yes, of course, we'll invite Shino as well. Well, I must go stop Ino before she starts an all out war with those girls. See you later, Kiba."

Kiba nodded his good-bye, though Sakura had already fled. His eyes still remained fixed on Hinata and Naruto who were still enjoying a dance. Picking a drink from a nearby tray of one of the servants, Kiba chugged a shot and set the drink down nearby, whipping his mouth with his sleeve before re-entering the dance floor. Maybe he could steal one last dance with Hinata and actually pay attention to the dancing and appreciate it.

* * *

**A/N;Yeah! It's done! Now, please keep in mind, I typed this chapter and the next at the same time, so they correspond very well with eachother. If you don't understand somethnig in this chapter, it will _most likely _be cleared up in rthe next chapter. You can either hold off and wait, or ask the question in a comment and I'll more than gladly either add the answer to the next chapter or for once feel proud that I already solved the problem, in which you should feel proud in asisting in my confidence! (Im' not serious, you don't have to...assist in my confidence, I mean. I love reviews, er more or less questions, because it tells me what I need to fix or explain better...then again, it also proves how horrible my writing is...TT)**

**Okay, well, enoguh senseless babblnig that you guys could careless about...(Sorry, actually, there's more-sorry!) I have a few things to comment-firstly, Shino. My original plan for him wasn't very big. In fact, he was jsut a knight, and he had some slight bit of more importance in other, later chapters, but mostly jsut as support for Kiba. Seeing how this transition would be really sudden and plus it didn't feel right if of the original three from Team 8, two were the stars and the third was simply back-up, I decided to buff up his role earlier on. To be honest, I didn't plan him to be catching on to the plot (Still a secret--that, and even I don't have it figured out very much X3) and he might have come off as...well, to be brutal, he sounds like he's tellnig Hinata to back off from Sasuke as thoguh she's competition for his lvoe and Shino is secretly gay for him-I'm shooting this theory down right now...sorry. This is probably the more important plot 'things' that is better explained throguh the next chapter, so I'd advise waiting until that chapter to hear more from his view point.**

**Next issue(Trust me, none are as long as that one) Sakura. Originally, these next chapters would have very few switching to other's views besides Kiba's and Hinata's. However, it would seem too off from earlier chapters (Not including the fact that the visit to Suna was practically all in Hinata's view) so I threw in some Sakura. It also, much to my pleasure, helps strengthen the (Okay, I should title this as spoiler but practically everyone is aware of this) relationship between Sakura and Naruto, which will be important. Ah! I'm gonig to give away the plot! **

**Also, if you're confused with the kingdom layout, tell me, because that was probably the weakest point I touched up on. Besides these details that I thoguht I cleared up decently enough in the next chapter, I very much enjoyed these two chapters. I hope you guys do to, and I'm sorry for the long A/N (They're getting lnoger! AH!) R&R! Sorry!**


	9. Bronze

**Q/N-ACK! Sorry about the, ocne again, lnog wait! School jsut started, and ahving this many Pre-AP classes isn't exactly easy. Im' depressed to say updates will be much like this last one-rare and not very frequent...I'm horribly sorry, but I don't think too many people read thisa nyway, so I'm not compeltely bummed-still, sorry for those that do and I'll try my hardest to get new chapters up at least every mnoth, becasue I usually don't like being no Hiatus. Anyway, here's the chapter that took too lnog to submit!**

**Bronze**

Hinata yawned, stretching her arms out. It took her a moment to realize she had awoken in a bed that was not hers. The sheets were not white, and there was much too much light seeping through windows. 

Looking around, she recognized the green sheets and canopy as the bed that had been presented to her for her stay in Konoha.

Konoha…

Then, it came to her. She was in Konoha, and it was the night after the feast. Smiling, she remembered the feast quite clearly. She had had a wonderful time, dancing and talking to Sir Kiba, and even got to enjoy a dance with Naruto. Her smile faded as she also recalled dinner. The cold, harsh stare that was unbreakable of Sasuke's, followed by Sir Shino's warning. She bit her lip instinctively, thinking hard about Shino's warning to stay away from Sasuke.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. She quickly pulled the comforter over her body, hiding her nightgown. "Yes?"

The door opened and in walked Shikamaru, dressed in a lazy, dirty hakama. It clearly hadn't been washed in some time, though he seemed to not really care. It was a green, with black hems and nothing special about it other than the fancy sword attached to his side.

"King Naruto beckons you to accompany him for an early morning picnic."

Hinata's heart froze- a picnic with Naruto; alone?

"He wishes you will accept this offer to join himself, Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino, as well as a few selected knights for protection, including myself."

Hinata regained breath, strangely relieved that she wouldn't be alone with Naruto. For some odd reason, being alone with him felt…awkward?

Hinata smiled, accepting the offer, and without Shikamaru went outside to stand and wait for her, so he could properly escort her. She rose from her bed, pulling forth from her bag an unwrinkled (Thanks to Tenten's light folding) Kimono that was a light green; mint color, actually. The obi was a darker shade of sea foam, with blue-green lilies embroidered into it. The kimono itself had short sleeves which fell to her knees only. She bathed quickly in a bath provided in a room off from her bed chamber and dressed quickly. She neatly tied her hair into a loose ponytail, with much of it loosely falling on her shoulder. Displeased with the look, she then pinned the ponytail and hairs back, tighter, though this proved a fail. All in all, despite the hair failure, her hair looked elegant and natural from many angles, and she decided there wasn't enough time to fix it any further.

Stepping outside, she greeted Shikamaru as they once more silently led each other past many corridors and courtyards. Once again, she passed the courtyard, dedicated to the unfaithful queen. Strangely, she felt pity for the queen. To love another but be tied down to one whom, as she imagined, was cruel, she couldn't see why it was so wrong of her. Had she not had a say in who she married?

"Ah, it seems we've arrived, milady."

Hinata, before looking to where Shikamaru pointed, sighed, wishing deeply that he'd give up on the forced 'milady' for all it did was make her feel really stupid. Before she could voice this, she turned to greet the small number of people waving at her atop a hill. She immediately picked out Naruto, who was waving hysterically at her. Beside him was Sakura, who was smiling as she too, with a bit more self-control, waved. There was another girl beside her, but the sun blocked her vision of her and she wasn't quite certain she would be able to identify the girl even if she could see her. She also recognized Kiba, who was just as excited as Naruto as he waved. Beside him was something fluffy, but the sun didn't help her in making out who or what it was. She then decided it had to be Akamaru, for it didn't look human.

She, much to her regret, noticed Sasuke. This immediately put a damper on her mood, but was quickly lifted when she noticed a fully-fledged knight in head-to-toe armor. No doubt Shino, still completely hidden. She quickly walked, joining them with a giant smile plastered on her face. Shikamaru followed more slowly, looking at the company.

"Where's Chouji?"

The girl beside Sakura answered, flipping her hair as she carelessly starred out across the empty, bright green fields before them, obviously searching for the perfect spot to stay.

"He's out on a scouting mission. He'll be back in a few weeks. And all the better, I think-this way, we might be able to eat some of the food."

The irritation in her voice was reflected in Shikamaru's face, which showed annoyance. Hinata, puzzled, turned to the closest person beside her-Sakura. Sakura smiled, winking as she whispered, "Chouji is Shikamaru's best friend. They're both knights, you. By the way, I adore your dress!"

Hinata, thrown off, then realized her dress matched Sakura's eyes. They both smiled, laughing at the coincidence. It was broken when Naruto clapped his hands together, announcing they should begin the picnic. Ino immediately pointed to a spot not far off, under a tree, and they immediately followed. While walking, Hinata took in her companion's sights.

Ino was blonde, though her hair was much fairer than Naruto's. It was long and pulled back into a high ponytail, with side bangs. That covered one eye when she wasn't carelessly jumping around. She always seemed to be smiling…or complaining. Either it was too hot, or "did you see that one knight last night? I'd never seen him before!" Hinata, though, respectively shook her head, making a mental note that Ino was your typical royal.

Both she and Sakura wore foreign dresses from the north, with corsets and laced cuffs and a velvet fabric. Sakura's was a dark green while Ino's was a deep purple, the color of royal. Both also bore many rings and bracelets, both of which Hinata lacked. Feeling a bit under dressed, Hinata found comfort in comparing herself to the males of the party. Naruto, of course, was dressed in fine silks, but that was all. He simply wore expensive fabric, but otherwise looked like a peasant who had stolen the clothes, with tangled hair and a bit of dirt smudged on his cheek. Kiba wore exactly what a peasant would were; a baggy shirt and trousers with covered in dirt and worn with weather.

Shino wore his armor, so there was no comparison with him. Sasuke wore a blue kimono with a white hakama, some red and white clan symbol embroidered on the back. Comparing herself to them, Hinata didn't feel so completely under dressed. Because of this comforting thought, she found herself walking closer and more huddled to the males rather than beside Ino and Sakura, who giggled and chattered the entire way to the picnic spot.

Once there, the males immediately set to work in unfolding the blanket and setting out food. Hinata attempted to help them, but Kiba assured her it wasn't necessary and she went to sit beside Sakura on an upright tree root that comfortably sat the three girls. Looking around, Hinata then realized how small their party was.

"What of the other princesses?"

Naruto smiled, standing up after having successfully placed all the silverware out in evenly spaced spots.

"They were so clingy! I thought it'd be nice to get away from the castle and hang with familiar friends, and we all unanimously decided to invite you along as well, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata's squeak was caught in her throat. Hinata-chan? A blush raced to her cheek, but it was light. She found herself pondering why this didn't bother her as much as it should. Within a minute, it had completely left her mind. She was too busy squeaking with terror as something large and furry jumped upon her from behind.

"Ack! Akamaru, no, wait, stop!"

Hinata's squeals for help soon changed to laughter as she felt the wet, slimy tongue of a dog lick up her face. Smiling, her hand reached forward and began to stroke the fluffy dog. It was yanked from her, and she managed to sit up to get in a better view of the dog.

Kiba was holding him back by the collar, which was decorated like any royal's dog, and smiling as he apologized. Hinata retorted that it wasn't necessary.

"Well, shall we begin?"

Everyone sat around the large blanket, provided by one of the servants who had scourged many long-abandoned rooms to find one of this size, and enjoyed several appetizers packed by the same servant. Naruto was deep in conversation, or rather argument, with Ino about her eating habits, with Sakura acting as referee. Sasuke was watching, every once and a while throwing in an insult or a statement that backed up Ino's, which sent her into a fit of admiration for the knight. Shino and Shikamaru were speaking a bit lower about recent events that were causing uproar in the knight's line of duty. This left Kiba and Hinata to discuss about Akamaru, or rather Hinata listening as Kiba told her hilarious tales of Akamaru's many accomplishments, some of which rivaled Neji's as Hinata noted.

"And he was the one who warned them."

"No way!"

Hinata squeaked, unbelieving Kiba' latest story. Kiba, in the middle of sipping his wine, gulped it quickly and put it down, getting ready to explain the truth in how Akamaru warned a deaf boy that his entire village would flood within minutes if they didn't all retreat.

"Oh, my, those clouds look awful threatening! Should we retreat inside, you think?"

Everyone turned to where Sakura was pointing, seeing the sky darkening. Naruto laughed.

"Nonsense, they're not threat. Besides, a small sprinkle will be nothing for you ladies. I suggest we all indulge in…a game, of sorts. That way, we may burn off the fat that has built up within us all, some more than others!"

With this, everyone laughed while Sakura and Ino went to playfully punching Naruto, though all in fun of course. Kiba was the one to ask, "What kind of sport, or game, as you say?"

Naruto, finally getting away from the attacking duo, flayed his arms about, referring to the entire fields and the small patch of forest behind them.

"A game of hide and seeketh!"

All laughed at Naruto's attempt to mock the royals of old time and their over usage of the ending. Sakura, still unconvinced of the clouds, was against it, but was soon coaxed by Ino.

"Now, we'll understand if you ladies don't want to, with your dresses and all," Naruto teased, only to receive further punches by the two girls. Hinata stayed stationary, watching the others react. She looked around, seeing everyone laugh, minus Sasuke. He remained cool and calm, his eyes closed as he leaned against the tree. Hinata watched him, her eyes lingering on him longer than they should have. Suddenly, realizing that last night might repeat itself, she ripped her eyes from him, returning to Naruto, who was searching between them at whom should be it. His eyes fell on Sasuke, and his mouth opened to claim him as the seeker.

Hinata, at that moment, randomly turned her gaze to Shikamaru, who was opposite of her. His gaze, a wary one, rested on Shino. Turning, she could only assume he held the same look, for a moment later Shino's head turned in an abrupt motion to speak.

"How about we work in pairs?"

Everyone turned to Shino. It was the first time he had spoken aloud to the group, and they were rather shocked at the suggestion-it was, once again, more sociable than they were used to, coming from him.

Still, the idea seemed alright. They all nodded, even Hinata, though her head was more cautious and slower than the others'.

"Okay. How about…well, Shino, how about you take Hinata-chan. I'm sure you won't mind, will you, Hinata?"

Hinata shook her head, replying that was fine. But, deep inside, she felt something was wrong. She felt Shino was trustworthy, but she knew there was a reason, or had to be, as to why he suggested so suddenly something that even she knew wasn't what his true character would suggest.

"Hm…Shikamaru, you and Ino can be together, right?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Ino also pouted. Sakura stifled a giggle, which Ino gave her a glare for in return.

"Sakura, will you do me the pleasure of accompanying me?"

Sakura giggled and nodded. Naruto then turned to face Kiba and Sasuke. Sasuke, his expression having not changed, glanced over at Kiba and smiled, easily reading the knight's displeasure.

"That leaves Kiba and Sasuke as the seekers!"

Sasuke, finding the opportunity too good to pass, loudly asked, "What's wrong Kiba? Would you rather be a hider than seeker?"

Kiba, growing red in the face, turned and was about to leap to attack Sasuke, was cut short by Naruto.

"Okay, here's how it works. You work with your partner to hide from one of the seekers. If you get caught, as a single person, you have to return to this tree, alright?"

Everyone nodded, and then got into position as they readied themselves to run, all knowing that each other's destination was the cover of the trees just across the short field.

"Ready…go!"

Naruto and Sakura immediately sprinted forward as Kiba and Sasuke could clearly be heard counting, Kiba's voice louder than Sasuke's droning out even Akamaru's whimpers and protests at watching everyone else run but being forced to sit and stay. Ino and Shikamaru also began to run, or rather Ino began to drag and pull at Shikamaru, who felt this game was a complete waist and would rather sit and sleep under the clouds, which he also noted were looking darker than necessary.

Hinata, immediately about to sprint towards the woods ahead of them, was thrown off balance as Shino pulled her in the opposite direction. Turning, she had a tough time catching up with Shino, who was surprisingly faster than she thought with the armor on. He led her towards an even smaller clutched of trees, further from the castle grounds. Whereas the other woods were parallel and beside the castle, these woods led away from the castle, and after them was a smaller field, not but a few yards wide, then an even larger clutch of woods. These woods broke into full wilderness, far from civilization in the back of the kingdom. Hinata, confused as to why they were being led out here, tried desperately to catch her breath. Finally, they reached the smaller woods, and Hinata barely caught the loud and familiar yowl of Kiba that seemed to say, "Ready or not, here we come!"

Shino yanked Hinata through the few feet of trees, speaking back in a low voice, "We're almost there."

Hinata confused, continued to be dragged until they crossed the short field. She knew they had to be several yards, if not a mile, away from the castle. As they reached the larger woods, Shino stopped. Turning, he let go of Hinata and faced her, his eyes shielded still be his helmet, which Hinata thought was a wonder he didn't get hot under.

"I'm supposing you're wondering why I brought you this far."

Fear struck into Hinata. Exactly what was Shino planning?

"Don't worry; I'll explain everything. Just listen and please don't ask any questions-not yet."

Hinata gulped, immediately reverting her hands into their twiddling position. In the far off distance, she could hear Naruto's voice, screaming out, "Damn it, Kiba; that's cheating! You can't use Akamaru to track us!" Followed by laughter. Hinata held her breath. Whatever Shino was going to say, he better hurry.

* * *

Kiba smiled, proudly, as he admired his accomplishment. So far, he had successfully tagged out Shikamaru and Naruto. Ino had been a bit of trouble, deliberately refusing to admit that she had been tagged, until Sasuke himself had caught her. Then, and only then, did she half-faint, woo, and admit that _Sasuke _had tagged her out. Kiba, irritated, rolled his eyes and left to search further. Sakura had abandoned Naruto, that or Naruto had pointlessly sacrificed himself for her chance to escape, and was now nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, Hinata and Shino were completely gone. Akamaru sniffed the air, and suddenly leapt into the other direction, barking back for Kiba to follow. Kiba, also, took a sniff of the air, curious at what Akamaru had caught in the completely other direction. Recognizing the lavender scent, he smiled. Hinata.

* * *

Hinata starred, wide eyed, at Shino. What had he just told her?

"_I am aware that you were involved in a battle at Suna prior to your visit here. What am I telling you now is that that attack was neither an attack against Suna nor a mere coincidence to your arrival. You and that attack go hand in hand, or rather, that attack happened because of you. You are in danger, and this game that Naruto suggested is a perfect opportunity for a kidnap to occur, especially this far from the castle."_

_Hinata gulped, her body trembling. What was he saying?_

"_A-and this couldn't very well b-be a kidnapping I-itself? C-could you n-not have suggested p-pairs so you c-could be alone with me, giving y-you an excuse to drag me o-out further f-from the c-castle so y-you could escape w-with me?"_

_Shino slowly rose his hand, lifting his helmet up just enough so his mouth showed, no longer masking his voice with deepness that the metal weighed upon it. _

"_It's good that you are learning to catch on and not trust someone too heavily. Suspicion will keep you alive, but rest assured that I am helping you. I do not know what it is that you must hide from, but I am merely warning you to take precaution. This does not only come from me, but others as well. I am not the only one aware of the danger you are in."_

Hinata now was terrified. What was he saying? Before she had even arrived, people who she had never met had become aware of some present danger that she herself hadn't been aware of. She shook her head, not wanting to believe anything Shino said. She thought back to when Shikamaru and Shino had exchanged glances, and knew that was what he must have been talking about. Suddenly, they heard a distant off yowl, and crashing through trees and bushes.

"Someone's coming; stay close!"

But, before Shino could even finish his warning, Hinata had already sprinted through the trees. She knew she should have stayed beside Shino, who could protect her, but she was too scared. She was too shocked at hearing that she was in danger, and therefore didn't feel safe near anyone. She sprinted deeper into the woods, stumbling over roots. She heard Shino shout her name, but she couldn't turn back. Not after going this far.

She then stopped to catch her breath, panting as the noises disappeared. She sighed, relieved that it might be safe after all. Then again, the attacker could have done away with Shino, or they both had killed each other off, and this fear sparked even more fear. What if Hinata had left Shino to his death? True, she barely knew the knight, but she could still feel sorrow and guilt for his death.

She didn't have time to weep over his possible death, for soon noises resounded, coming her way. Gasping, she turned to get away, but was to slow. A blinding flash shot through the pushes and had her down on the ground within seconds. Her eyes closed shut; she didn't want to face her captor. Too scared to move, she shivered under his weight.

"Hinata?"

Hinata opened her eyes, seeing Kiba before her. Kiba smiled down, happy without a reason. Maybe it was the fact he had caught her, or perhaps their awkward position with him atop of her. As soon as they realized this, though, he quickly leapt off, handing her a hand to help her rise. Hinata looked behind him.

"W-where's Shino?"

"Shino? I caught him a minute ago. He's probably on his way back to the tree by now. We've caught everyone except you and Sakura, but it looks like now Sakura's the only one left!"

Kiba smiled, his canines flashing as he did. Hinata, relieved that is was all a false alarm, sighed to show her comfort, letting go of her held breath.

Suddenly, something tapped on Hinata's head, a moment followed by several others. Soon, the two were being drenched in rain. Kiba instinctively held his arm above Hinata for cover, looking to the sky as the rain fell.

"Hm, I guess Sakura was right. We better find some cover, for it doesn't look like the trees are doing their job!"

Indeed, despite the many branches, the tops of the trees were spaced out just conveniently enough to not be useful in the rain. The two quickly ran from the trees, past the field and the smaller clutch of trees. The tree where the others were wasn't in sight, nor were the others, so Kiba turned them instead towards the castle grounds. Hinata noted, however, that they weren't heading straight for the castle itself, but rather a patch of garden nearest them. The very garden she and Shikamaru had passed.

"There's a gazebo at the center. C'mon!"

Kiba's hand quickly snatched out, grabbing Hinata's wrist. He pulled her closer towards him, causing her to stumble slightly before catching her footing. She looked at Kiba, seeing the playfulness all gone from his face. He now was serious, bent on reaching the gazebo. Hinata turned to watch the castle. It was a considerable distance from the garden, but surely after the minutes or even hours they could spend trying to go through a maze to reach a gazebo.

"Um, K-Kiba, are y-you sure we shouldn't h-head for the c-castle, instead?"

Suddenly, at her own words, Hinata thought of Shino's warning. He had warned her to not be too trustful; anyone could be out to get her. Then again, he also said others were in on the conspiracy. Could Kiba be possibly one that knew of her danger or even one that was the cause for alarm?

These suspicions died when Kiba smiled, turning his head to wink at her and he tugged her further along.

"Relax; I know a short cut to the center! Trust me; we'll reach the center in no time. It's shorter distance there than the castle, and this storm will let up soon enough."

Hinata relaxed, knowing that there was no way Kiba could be meaning to do her harm. And if he was in on the conspiracy that was circling around her, what was wrong with that? He could protect her, couldn't he? Hinata held back a sigh, smiling slightly as Kiba' encouraging words kept her heart hopeful.

"AH!"

Hinata had to close her mouth quickly to avoid the leaves. Apparently, Kiba's shortcut was actually short for running-through-the-hedges-in-a-straight-path-until-we-reach-the-center. Kiba went ahead of her, pushing most of the branches apart and leaving a large enough opening for her to fly through before the branches and leaves snapped back into place. Hinata found the hedges surprisingly looser and not as clustered, easier to break through, than other hedges she had encountered, though even that number was few (Limited only to a few secluded areas in Hyuuga kingdom's courtyard, though they only lasted a few weeks each because none of the servants were specialized in gardening and Hiashi never cared about the hedges enough to hire a professional gardener). Hinata would have questioned Kiba on why, but thought it better to keep her mouth shut as several leaves snapped backwards from Kiba to hit her square on the cheek.

Finally, Kiba stumbled through the final hedge, leading them into a tiny clearing with a white painted gazebo, the wood designed into several swirls and roses to resemble a rose bush itself. Kiba turned and smiled reassuringly at Hinata, and then quickly led her under the gazebo to avoid the rain. Hinata caught her breath there, panting and huffing as rain pattered on the roof, running down the sides. Hinata looked up, watching as Kiba wearily looked towards the castle, then to the sky, or what could be seen past the roof from under the gazebo. He sighed, looking back at Hinata.

"The storm looks heavy now, but it should be over with s-oh!"

Hinata froze as Kiba approached her, his hand outstretched. It reached further up, towards her cheek. Hinata shut her eyes, bracing herself for…well, she wasn't quite sure. Certainly he didn't mean her harm? But, what if she had been wrong. What if Kiba was the one that-

"There."

Hinata opened her eyes to catch Kiba's hand retreating, a twig within it. He smiled at her. Apparently, a loose branch has attached itself to her hair. Grateful that was all, Hinata smiled, bowing slightly to show her gratitude. After that, Kiba sat down and crossed his legs, placing his hands behind his back to support it as he leaned backwards. He sighed, turning his face up to the ceiling.

"Man, this stinks. I guess Sakura won, eh?"

Hinata turned to look at him as he laughed, and she also joined, giggling softly with her hand hiding her mouth. Kiba's laughter stopped as he observed her, taking in her expression. Her cheeks brightening, Hinata turned, calling back in a stuttering voice what was wrong.

"You cover your mouth when you laugh. You shouldn't do that; you're really pretty when you smile!"

The moment that left Kiba's mind, he regretted it. As cheesy and corny as it sounded, he knew it to be true. However, to let Hinata know this, or at least to hear it from his mouth, completely blew his cover. Kiba mentally felt like stabbing himself with his own sword, feeling the pang of rejection nearly upon him. Hinata, however, stared at him, her eyes wide, for a moment before smiling, without covering it with her hand. She laughed smiling and throwing her head back as she did. Kiba, relieved, smiled. He noticed then that her hair was a complete mess, most of it falling loose, cascading down her back. Her kimono was completely ruined; soaked through, covering at the bottom in mud and several twigs and leaves scattered and stuck throughout it. Still, she was luminescent with brightness and joy that he supposed none of that mattered. He threw his head back, smiling, glad he had picked the right girl to fall head over heels in love with.

* * *

The rain didn't let up for quite awhile. Having already been past midday, the rain and dark clouds gave the impression that it was much later than it really was. The two spent a few minutes in silence, until Kiba began to talk about Akamaru, once again (This seemed to be the common interest-it was the easiest thing for Kiba to talk about, and he had plenty of stories about his great companion that kept Hinata entertained). As soon as he began, however, he paused.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Hinata asked from sincere concern at Kiba's sudden hush.

Kiba shook his head, smiling to show he was fine. "I just remembered about poor Akamaru! Once we caught Shino, he must have caught onto some odd scent because he went running into another direction. I didn't follow because I knew you were still nearby, so I followed your scent instead! Heh, I guess that dog had something more important."

Hinata gasped.

"B-but, does that m-mean he's still o-out in the rain? I-I hope he's a-alright!"

Kiba laughed, though quickly stifled himself knowing that Hinata might take his laughter the wrong way, as she had been doing so frequently.

"He's probably better off than we are! Don't worry, that dog is smarter than most people! He probably found shelter before the rain started. And if not, he's a lot tougher-he won't get a cold or anything from simple rain."

Hinata nodded, relieved that the dog wouldn't be inflicted in any way. Silence refilled the gazebo, until finally the rain shortened, turning into a light drizzle before disappearing altogether.

* * *

Taking advantage of this break, they lifted themselves from the wooden floor, stretched comfortably, and made a sprint across the field towards the castle. Kiba led the two through a side door, which opened into the kitchen. From there, they silently passed surprised servants and made their way to the dining hall, surprised to find the others gathered around the table, frantically fretting about themselves (Actually, Naruto, Sakura and Ino were fretting. Shino was covered and leaning against the wall, while Shikamaru was asleep. Sasuke had already left to his room, apparently bored with waiting).

Kiba stroked the back of his head and smiled as he tried to nervously explain their situation. Akamaru barked from a corner and ran up to greet the two, receiving a scratch behind the ear from Hinata, which then made him roll over and forced Hinata to continue rubbing him until he was satisfied several minutes later. Sakura and Ino, after shouting at Kiba loud enough for the castle to hear, took Hinata away to be bathed in the special bathhouse, attached to the castle. Naruto, though holding a stern face, laughed the moment they were gone.

"Way to go, you old dog! If I didn't know any better, I'd say Hinata was your special someone!"

Kiba nervously laughed, alongside Naruto's deep chuckle. He eyed Shino, whose stare didn't reach Kiba through the helmet.

"Yeah, figure that, heh."

Naruto's laughter died, and his brows furrowed together.

"H-hey, Kiba, can I ask you something?"

Kiba took note that Naruto had lowered his voice so only he could here, and returned his answer in a tone to match Naruto's.

"Sure."

* * *

At night, Hinata returned to her room. It was a clear night, with many stars showing, glowing silver like diamonds. Her smile faded as she remembered Shino's words, but she shook that from her head. Instead, she remembered her time stuck with Kiba in the stable. This, of course, led back to the previous night's dance with Kiba, and before then…

Suddenly, before Hinata knew it, she was thinking nonstop about Kiba. As this realization hit her, she grew frantic. This wasn't right! She was in love with Naruto, wasn't she? She couldn't possibly be falling for a knight? She shook her head. It was impossible! It had to be! First of all, that love was forbidden! She'd be a disgrace if she even admitted to loving a knight, and what if they were to elope!

Hinata smiled sadly. No, because even if she did love him, surely this love was unrequited. Surely Kiba knew his place and wasn't falling for someone he knew was out of his boundaries. Surely…

Hinata turned to her desk, where a letter had been placed upon it, probably by a servant during the day. Looking at the seal, she recognized it as one from Suna. Smiling, she opened it, clearing her thoughts of Kiba and love and all the troubles today had brought upon her.

Smiling, she read a report from Temari of Kankuro's injuries, or better yet their progress in healing.

He took a deep sigh, clutching his fists together as he approached the door. The window's curtain was slightly ajar, visibly showing her figure silhouetted, sitting at her desk and reading a letter. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. This was torture enough, and he knew it had to be done. He stepped, his hand outstretching towards the door. The night sky, clear from the rain, seemed darker to him that it had ever been. Perhaps it was his imagination, but he knew the tone was about to grow much darker. He could already hear the cries and screams that would follow, but this was something that had to be done.

The shadowed figure approached the unsuspecting girl's door, completely oblivious to what she was really doing at that moment, though with little consideration to it all the same.

* * *

**A/N: K, I finally have it posted! Well, it's not horrible. Been awhile sicne I re-read it. i'm sorry-this has been done for quite some time, it jsut took forever to post! Please forgive me! Now, about the chapter!**

**When I first posted this, and the previous chapter at that (I mgiht have mentioned this earlier-I can't remember, truthfully) I never planend Shino to be so knowledgable, or the conspiracy to be as obvious. But, I felt if I didn't start slowly etchnig ni the true plot, aside from the KibaxHina, then this story would have taken a few mroe chapters, nearly half of it's length, to finally reach a true plot. So, also in an attempt to give Shino a larger part (He actually originally had and has planned a larger role in later chapters, but it'd seem too random if he appeared from no where, having such parts in those chapters, when his introductino was very small...) So, knocking out two birds with one stone, I got a bit better of a set-up gonig on, nyaah?**

**Moving on, it took awhile to set up Kiba's logic. Obviously, this benig a romance, I need some cheesy scenes to set up the relatioship. So, pelase forgive me for my poorly written romance scenes, because I'm not too good with romance...writing itself I'm not great at, but I hope you've all learned to overlook that. To be honest, a truly smart person probably would have run past the hedge maze and straight to the castle to joni others, but for romantic purposes, the hedge-running-through was the msot logical chocie...just pretend, alright?**

**I also wish to admit I haven't been able to be on as much as I have been wanting to-this not only goes for my own story, but others as well. Thanks to this three-day-weekend, I'm am gonig to catch up on some stories that I've started but haven't caught up on yet recently (My favorite at this moment has to be Midnight Maidens-ScribblingKunoichi, I personally apologize for not ahving read the latest two or so chapters, but Im' eager to catch up!-Also, for many other of my reviewers or authors, I enjoy pretty mcu hany story, and there's quite a few I wish to catch up on. Midngiht Maidens is simply the only noe I can remember off the top of my head, but trust me-ther are so many stories I need to catch-up on, it'll probably be a while before I even get worknig no my own story!)**

**With all this said, I REALLY need to thank my reviewers! I don't often reply to reviews, thoguh I should, because I get so many nice reviews, and critisisms which sometimes I love even more than the 'I liked your story' reviews, so jsut know that I appreciate every review and it's those thnigs themselves that keep me typnig! So, please know that without your reviews, I probably couldn't continue typing! Anyway, please continue reading and reviewing my story, and I'm gonig to go become less active in the FanFic community! thank you so much, and please R&R! Till next chapter!**

* * *


	10. Silver

**Q/N: Okay, I deserved to be MUTILATED, BURNED, KILLED-whatever torture you patient readers desire, jsut leave in reviews (In flames, which I'm preparing ymself for after this chapter) because I TOTALLY deserve them! I AM SOOOOO SORRY! For such a lnog wait for this crappy chapter to be written! It's slightly rushed- the first half was written a few months ago, when I originally planned to psot it, and the othe half was typed...ten minutes ago....please enjoy and I'm TERRIBLY sorry! TT_TT**

**Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto, or the characters...or the colros sued for chapter titles for that matter...who does own those? o_O**

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* * *

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_**Silver**_

_Dear Hinata,_

_I haven't spoken to you in ages! I know you must be fretting yourself to death worrying about how we've all been, but stop there! We're all fine. Kankuro is as good as new, though he won't admit it-he seems to like the extra attention and aid that the nurses and servants provide him to 'ease his pain'. Gaara himself seems much more relaxed and less tense now that Kankuro's condition is doing better-though you couldn't tell any difference with simply one glance now, would you? _

_I must admit I myself feel slightly guilty. Having gone so long without writing to you, not to mention your first visit to Suna and you were immediately bombarded with an attack! Poor thing! I'll have you know I personally, along with Gaara and Kankuro, have doubled the security and the wall's gates is twice as strong! Your next visit will be even better than the first, I'll be sure of it!_

_That is, if you still wish to visit. I wouldn't blame you if you forever labeled our country as a hellish place, though I will beg you do return-it's so lonely with so few guests!_

_Kankuro himself has expressed his regrets in your departure, and though Gaara won't say I've noticed changes in his manners since you left. It would please us all if you did return, though no rush is being made. Please, take all your time!_

_Well, the dinner's bell tolls for me to come, and I shan't keep Gaara waiting for his meal, though Kankuro could use a few drawbacks on his meals, if you know what I mean. _

_Farewell, _

_Temari of the Sand_

Hinata smiled inwardly to herself. It was so good to hear from her friend after such a long time of absence, though looking back she couldn't exactly call it a 'long time'. She folded the letter once more, gently placing it beside her bed table, reminding herself first thing in the morning to beckon for parchment and ink, along with a pen, and write her reply. Though, it was late and the day had been long, so she had decided to now call it a night.

She was just beginning to untie the bow at the top of her gown before a light knock came at her door. Surprised, she turned, defensively covering herself, though her clothes were modest enough either way. Still, she cautiously stepped towards the door. She had not called for a servant, nor would any sensible person still be up at this hour (The candle had burned so low-how late exactly was it?) She slowly unlocked the locks, turning the knob. The door creaked open as she pulled it forth, her eyes quickly peering to catch sight of whatever person awaited her.

Her eyes widened, her heart leaping in her chest, though she instantly calmed it. A warm smile naturally graced her lips, unconsciously, and her voice rang out in a sing-song greeting.

"Hello, Kiba."

* * *

Kiba had paced several times outside Hinata's door. Something was bothering him-actually, several things. So many things, to be honest, that it was too much. Before, he could have died happy just by having met Hinata. The fantasies of their relationship were just that-fantasies, and he had been well aware they'd always stay that way.

But now, it was too much. Just by the mere presence of her, he realized it wasn't just enough to have her forever in his memory. The thought of the night they met and the long conversation they shared, as well as the night at the feast and even the picnic earlier this morn was all pleasant, but if he let the chance slip now, he'd never forgive himself. Just to have the chance, the mere miracle that he could confess, would just kill him if he never took advantage of it. If he spent his summer, watching her grow closer and closer to Naruto, just to have her dreams crushed, or possibly come true, and leave off with another man, now or later, and did nothing about it, he was sure he'd regret it-forever. He knew, somehow, he wasn't likely to meet a girl like her-not in this life time.

And now was as good of a time to confess as ever.

Plus, he had a secret motive that he didn't feel quite right about hiding, and lying to Hinata was the last thing he planned to do.

"Hinata," He slowly mumbled out, trying to smile in return to her own, but not nearly able to match the pure angelic joy she reflected in that smile of hers. Instead, he fiddled with his cap, now twisted in between his hands, and secretly chewing the inside of his cheek behind his pressed lips. He shifted nervously on his feet, and prayed in his mind Hinata didn't notice his odd behavior.

If she did, she did not speak of it.

"Kiba-kun, what may I entertain you with? Please, come in."

Kiba nodded, feeling less nervous as he stepped into her quarters. He glanced around. He wasn't one who frequently ventured into the guest chambers, though he had to admit they were nice-much nicer than the knight's chambers. He only wasted a moment glancing around before returning his focus to the true star of the room-Hinata.

She closed the door, latching the lock once more before turning to greet him.

"May I offer you some tea?"

Kiba shook his head, watching her hands, her feet, her body-everything but her face and her eyes. He couldn't find himself to look at those in particular. Not head on, not right now.

This action alone must have reached Hinata, for her body stopped and had Kiba been looking at her eyes, he would have seen concern run across them.

"Kiba-kun, is something wrong?"

Kiba was slightly taken aback. In his mind, while he had been walking over here, had had numerous conversations and plans as to how he'd break this _slowly _to Hinata. Some ideas seemed more plausible than others, one including a dragon and himself racing to her rescue in shinning silver armor abroad Akamaru (This was immediately rejected because Kiba decided a dragon would be near impossible to find, though the idea of him charging in dressed in fabulous armor went through several other drafts before he finally retired the thought). However, he never planned for Hinata to bluntly ask 'what was wrong' moments after he had entered the room.

After a pause that was too long to be passed off as 'nothing', he was left no choice but to begin.

"I...I wanted to talk…with you." Generic and idiotic, he thought. Obviously he wanted to talk-why else would he be here? And the 'with you' was so understood that even Hinata cocked an eyebrow. Now, he was coming off completely unnatural and she was well aware by now that the subject of the matter was not to be taken lightly.

Hinata immediately tensed up, though only for a moment. Had Kiba not been watching her reactions as intently as he was, he might not have caught the momentary flinch.

"Of course! Wh-what exactly did you want to speak about?"

_Crap_, Kiba thought. _She's stuttering; now I've gone and done it. _Kiba gulped.

"Hinata I…"

Slowly, his confidence began to fall. Sweat trickled down his neck uncomfortably. His eyes shifted to the wall and back. How exactly does one go about saying what he had to say? How could he break this to such a pure, perfect girl? He closed his eyes briefly. Previous events flooded back to mind. The feast, the picnic, under the balcony while rain poured down, Naruto's confession…

His eyes widened, a fierce flame enlightened in them.

"Hinata, I can't continue this lie. Please, hear me out. Naruto, he…"

Hinata's eyes widened at the word. A painful surge shot through Kiba. That's right-the whole reason she was here, at this palace, was to woo Naruto-to impress him and become his bride. Her goals, her dreams, were to be his bride-his queen. Not to fall in love with a low-life knight. She was here to court and be courted by royalty-by Naruto.

This thought sickened him. Why did Naruto deserve such an angel? Why must Naruto have everything? He was wealthy, royal, handsome; everything. Surely he didn't need Hinata to add to his collection of perfection. Anger and jealously grew in Kiba. And to think, it all was just a lie…

This was the last straw.

"Naruto does and will not love you!"

This shockingly loud exclamation was obviously not what Hinata was expecting to hear-nor wanted to. Her delightful smile faded in a flash, dropping to a frown. Her eyes slowly widened, her pupils shrinking. Her hands were shaking, and immediately Kiba knew he'd gone too far.

Then again, he could no longer turn back, and now was his last chance.

"Hinata, please," he began in a softer, more appealing tone. "Hear me out."

Hinata did not speak, but bowed her head in shame, her eyes hidden. She turned slowly, stepping the slightest towards the door. One step…two step…

"Hinata, please, listen to what I have to say!"

She stopped, pausing to allow him to speak. Content with his short chance, he took in a deep breath and began. However, upon opening his mouth, he found no words forming, or projecting themselves, and therefore stood, his mouth gapped open with a frantic Hinata, who was tensely clutching her hands to her crossed arms, twisting her head either way, pretending to be searching for intruders though really just avoiding eye contact. He watched in blunt horror as he mouth would open ever so slightly, taking in a deep, sharp breath as she tried to calm herself, though tears were welling. He was taking too long.

"I-I'm sorry, please e-excuse me."

She quickly raced to the door, unlatching the locks. One stubborn lock caused a bit of trouble, taking a second longer to fiddle open. But that second was enough to break her. The moment it fidgeted open, she slammed the door open, so hard it rebounded against the wall. But, she was already out the door, racing into the night. Kiba cursed himself a thousand times over as he leapt after her, racing and slamming the door wide open as he passed it, causing it to slam once more loudly against the wall.

"Hinata, wait!"

* * *

His calls were futile. Hinata was running half-blinded, her hands constantly to her face, rubbing the tears away. Every time her hands fell to her side, more tears blinded her and she stumbled, raising her hands once more to swipe the salty tears from her now red face. How embarrassed she felt, to break down such in front of Kiba. It would be obvious of her crush now of Naruto, but even more so how awkward she'd feel around Kiba!

That was the biggest loss, for Kiba was her closest friend in this foreign land. And to have lost him…

A voice in her head, the very back of her mind and by far the most sensible at the moment, seemed to whisper it didn't matter. She was of higher rank-what business did Kiba have of even speaking to her? That mutt, prying to get close to Hinata, only to watch her fall at such an unstable moment. He planned this from the beginning, it seemed to think. Hinata tried to listen to this voice of reasoning, but nothing made sense. Kiba never had intentions of watching her fall, break down in such a humiliating way. Perhaps he was just as overwhelmed as she was? Maybe he really did have a good reason for such an outburst? Perhaps if she just listened to him…

A rude awakening came as Hinata found herself crashing against something twisted, leathery in texture, and pointed. Leaves…thorns…

Hinata looked up, her tears stopping for a moment. She was sprawled backwards on the dirt ground, her night gown now clotted in mud and leaves and dew from the night. She didn't care though, and instead lifted herself, quickly turning into the opening, for she had come to realize exactly where she was-the maze.

She blindly followed the twists and turns, completely lost and she banged against the corners, tripping several times and scurrying to her feet. Kiba's voice, calling to her, grew faint after a while, and then stopped. He'd have reached the maze by now. Hinata didn't care, though, and stopped listening for his voice altogether. She kept racing through the maze. Slowly, her fretting switched from embarrassment from her outburst in front of Kiba to then panic that she was completely and utterly lost. She let out a shudder and sigh of relief when after several more turns she saw the gazebo in sight. She stumbled, half-lunging to the wooden railing, collapsing and barely catching herself against the outside wall. She hung, clinging to the top of the fence-like structure, panting heavily as her eyes looked down at the dirt her bare feet now sunk into. Tears freely fell, her hands no longer bothering to push them aside. Her hair fell loosely against her face, some tight with sweat to her temples. She was a mess, and she was aware of such. She let out a soft wail, careful to not be too loud in case her cries woke someone up, though after a moment she gave up on that idea. If Kiba's cries and her outbursts hadn't already awoken the entire castle, then surely her soft wails wouldn't do anymore damage.

She was so lost in her overwhelmed emotions she didn't notice the shadow overcoming her.

A hand reached out to her shoulder.

"Hinata…"

She gasped, whipping around.

* * *

Kiba's eyes were filled with pity. How'd he let this happen? He'd meant to confess beautifully, his undying love reaching deep into her heart and their loves connecting, forming an undying bond. Not sending the girl he loved into a frantic fret of tears and racing for her life in the slippery grass and dirt to be ultimately lost in a maze. By sheer luck, and much experience, Kiba had quickly found himself in the center, only moments after Hinata. He had carefully walked towards her, reaching out his hand. He didn't want to scare her away, as he had just done so. He needed to start over-start fresh. Clean.

"Hinata…"

She turned, her hair whipping around. Her eyes were wide, tears having stained her cheeks and the remaining glow of that afternoon's activities now lost in her pale, frightened face.

"Hinata, please, don't run. I-I'll explain everything…"

Her hands instantly covered her face, hiding her shame as she looked away.

"P-please, just…just leave me…I…I just want some fr-fresh air, is all. I-I'm fine…"

"Hinata, just hear me out…"

"I-I've heard quite enough, Sir Kiba."

Kiba stopped, his mouth shut tight. Now he knew he had ruined things. Her voice had been firm, stubborn-royal. She looked at him, her eyebrows pointed down. She was angry…furious…but more so, behind those sharp eyes, she was…frightened.

He was determined to be heard, whether she'd listen or not.

"After you left, when we had returned from this afternoon, Naruto had-"

"I said, Sir Kiba, that'd be enou-"

"-Naruto pulled me aside and requested my opinion on a matter he had hoped to keep confidential."

Hinata scoffed. It was very unlike her. Even she regretted it, but her haughty attitude, the façade she was playing at the moment in hopes of scaring Kiba off, was eager to silence the boy.

"If Naruto had hoped to keep it confidential, perhaps you shouldn't so _loosely _speak your tongue, _knight."_

She knew that had been too harsh. Both of them were aware. Still, Kiba continued.

"He pulled me aside…"

* * *

Naruto's laughter died, and his brows furrowed together.

"H-hey, Kiba, can I ask you something?"

Kiba took note that Naruto had lowered his voice so only he could here, and returned his answer in a tone to match Naruto's.

"Sure."

Kiba strolled with Naruto past the hall, through a side door leading to one of the many small, private libraries. It had only a single bookcase with a selected few books and a desk and chair. There was a candle upon the desk, and some blank parchment, but it was lit. The only light came from the moon through the single window.

"Kiba, I…I, um…"

Kiba cocked an eyebrow. He waited patiently, hands crossed behind his back as Naruto, his back turned and facing the night's sky, took in a deep breath. Determined, he turned with a look of passion in his eyes as he faced Kiba.

"I love Sakura."

Kiba raised both eyebrows, but said nothing else. He waited for Naruto to continue. Unfortunately, that was exactly what Naruto was waiting for, and after an awkward silence that neither felt like filling, Naruto finally cleared his voice, turned to conceal him once more, and continued.

"I love Sakura, but…"

His head fell, his chin touching his chest as his eyes focused on his fiddling hands.

"But…she's not exactly of my rank…I-I know, as a prince and soon-to-be-king, I should be looking at, well, more available women. However, I can't stop thinking about her!"

Kiba felt his palms go sweaty.

"It's like our rank doesn't matter. I mean, I love her, and I know she may not love me back, but…It's just…she's like an angle, you know? God, Kiba, I don't know if you've ever loved someone before, but even if you have, I doubt it's anything like how I feel for Sakura! Just watching her perform the dullest of tasks, and…and the way she does that thing with her hair…!"

Naruto attempted to mock fiddling with his hair, but rather ended up looking like flapping his hands like a bird, and gave up hopelessly. Kiba starred, continually saying nothing, only thinking to himself who exactly was speaking; Naruto or himself?

"I just…but, I know we can't be together. I have to choose a wife by the end of the summer, and I just…I then got to thinking…Kiba, you've known me for so long, and you wouldn't judge me, would you? You know me better than I know myself sometimes, right?"

Kiba quickly brought his mind back into focus. Here was the part he would be dragged into this love-sick mess.

"I just…I think I'll…I think, no…I will choose Hinata to be my wife."

Kiba couldn't stop the outburst of a coughing fit that immediately attacked him.

"Kiba?"

"I'm sorry, I just…um…something…caught in my throat…sorry…um, so you love Sakura, but your plan is to…m-marry Hinata?"

"Well, it's a bit more complicated…I think…I think I can marry Hinata, for formality and all, but…Well, I love Sakura, and I plan to soon find out whether she feels the same way! I know I have a duty as the future king to this land and its people, but…I…I love Sakura, and…"

Kiba started to catch on.

"Are you suggesting…an affair?"

"Well, yes, but no…I mean, I don't even know if Sakura loves me!"

It was obvious, obviously, to all but Naruto the true answer to that speculation, Kiba noted. However, he didn't say so.

"I was thinking, which you know is never a very reasonable thing, if…if Hinata and I could just produce an heir, ensure a future for this kingdom, then perhaps Sakura and I, with her consent, could…well…"

"Run away together?" Kiba provided.

"Y-yes…but…oh, Kiba, I knew it was a stupid idea!"

Kiba, completely blown away not only by the ultimate stupidity of the idea, but also sheer brilliance, collapsed into the desk's chair, his hand immediately flinging to his forehead and he stared blankly at the floor tiles, bewildered beyond imagination.

"Naruto…I d-don't mean to…well, bluntly speaking, I very well should be telling you how _stupid _this idea is, but…How exactly do you suppose this plan will go down? Do you plan on informing Hinata at all of the plan?"

"Well, no…I don't suppose. It'd be less painful. Now that I think about it, it might help to inform her. I mean…the treaty between the two countries, trade and all, would be beneficial to the country. I am thinking of this land's future, as well. However, I'm not so positive on the reaction after my departure…"

"Naruto…this plan is absolutely stupid and will in no way work…"

Naruto looked at Kiba with wide, pitiful eyes.

"_However,_" Kiba growled, his eyes hidden in his hand.

"God damn it all, _however…_if you love Sakura so strongly, I can't exactly tell you to ignore those feelings either…" In a lower mumble, just to himself, he added, "I understand the feeling."

"I believe there's another solution to this all. Perhaps, since you're the king, you can change this rule of rank, save yourself all this trouble."

Naruto shook his head.

"I'm not the king, nor will I be, until I find a suitable wife. Not to mention the council and parliament and regulations-god, it'd be murder to change the laws. I could do it, but…I'd have to wed first either way."

Kiba thought. Divorce was nothing new to the land. It could be considered shameful, for a couple to go back on their vows of love, and could be a problem especially for a king. Surely if one could not be a king without a wife, divorcing one would be just as much trouble.

"It's a factor you might want to bring up with the council."

Naruto nodded, both men now deep in thought of this dilemma. After some silence, Naruto raised his head, the flame of determination back in his eyes.

"I'll strive for it. I'll convince the council, I'll change their minds! But they won't listen to just a petty prince who holds no power. As far as they're concerned, I'm just a simple peasant with a large treasury supporting me."

_Sometimes that's all you need, _Kiba thought bitterly.

"As much as I hate the deceit, I need the title of king. And not only for my love of Sakura, but for this kingdom. We can't continue in this limbo any longer. I'll have to decide upon a wife and soon. As much as I hate the idea, Hinata would be the best choice. She's well supported in wealth; the treaties of trade and peace we could obtain would be in the country's best interest, not to mention she's by far the best choice among the rest of the girls gathered. She presents herself well, and a queen that can win over a crowd can win over a council. With both her and I in the council's favor, swinging their votes will be far easier than myself alone with the title of 'prince'."

Kiba pouted. This idea was far-fetched, but worst of all; it was beginning to make sense. And that meant it might work, which meant Hinata…

"So…you'll go through with your plan to wed to Hinata?"

Naruto shook his head, though his eyes were looking right past Kiba, unfocused.

"It's my only option that supports my plan. I feel horrible about doing it, but…"

Kiba nodded. He understood. He wish he didn't, but he did…

"Very well then. I'll take my leave, sir…"

"Kiba…don't be so cold…"

"I'm sorry, my lord, I had no intention of being anything towards you."

Those were Kiba's last words as he calmly stormed room the room, leaving Naruto half ashamed yet half relieved from finally releasing his pent-up plan. Kiba couldn't control himself. He was overwhelming angry, shocked, broken-hearted, and…and he needed to see Hinata. Before he knew it, his feet had led him to her door, and…

* * *

Hinata starred blankly at Kiba as he revealed his story, Naruto's secret plan and her part in it all. She wasn't even aware of the new tears-too stunned to be aware of anything at this point. Kiba sighed, stepping closer to Hinata. She didn't back away, too stunned and unaware of his approach, and he took advantage of this, reaching for her hand. The moment his fingers graced her palm's flesh, she flinched, ripping it back and twisting away from him.

"St-stay away f-from me!"

Her voice was cracking, and she stumbled backwards. She tripped, but a large, warm hand wrapped around her waist, suspending her in mid-air. She looked up, her large, wide pupil-less eyes starring into his deep, serious, slotted eyes. He had no emotion on his face, looking her straight on as she took in all his features from up close.

"Hinata…"

His voice was deep, mellow, and much calmer than before. Hinata felt herself lifted, though she hadn't moved an inch. Kiba's face was suddenly closer, his breath tickling her own cheeks. She blinked, stunned as he spoke her name so beautifully…so romantically.

"I couldn't stand to lie to you….I thought you needed to know the truth…"

He closed in, closer, his breath just above hers. His lips were a mere inch away, his voice so faint she strained to hear it.

"I didn't want to break your heart then, so I thought it'd be easier to break it now…I'm sorry for all the inconvenience, and…and I just felt you should know exactly what you were getting into."

There was a hovering pause, and Hinata's eyes fluttered shut. She was expecting, no…waiting, for the kiss. Waiting for the small gap between their lips to close as their lips collide. It never came, and just as magically swift and quick as Kiba had closed down on her, she found him pulling away, lifting her to stand on her own two feet instead.

"I'm sorry, Hinata…Lady Hinata, I mean…"

He stepped back, turning as he did so.

"W-wait…"

He paused, tilting his head slightly just enough for the bridge of his nose to be seen, but nothing more. She was breathing rapidly, excited and nervous. It all made sense, her mind spoke. She was so light-headed in all this commotion and everything seemed like a dream, nothing making sense. She knew she wasn't thinking straight. She probably was about to do something she'd regret later, or sooner than later, but in that moment, it all seemed right.

"I t-told you…to call me…Hinata, and…"

Her feet moved no their own, taking small steps towards him. Slowly, the pace quickened, until she was near sprinting the final meter between them.

"And I'm sorry for what I'm about to do, so please forgive me if you find it in yourself that you can!"

And with her arms, she thrust him around, and within a quick movement their lips had interlocked. He was stunned, his eyes widening as he lips smashed against his. Her hands were cringed together close to her chest, but as she realized Kiba was not in fact rejecting her kiss, they relaxed, falling to her side instead. In fact, Kiba deepened the kiss, opening his mouth as a playful tongue lingered, hoping to gain entrance, which Hinata gladly allowed. His arms reached up to her face, pushing back her loose hair as her own hands, awkward without any clue as to where to rest, fell on his shoulder's and waist, frantically fluttering about his hair. Slowly he pushed back against her, until they found themselves against the gazebo's posts, one of his hand's grasping to it for support as the other traced her jaw line.

The passionate kiss ended as Kiba finally pulled away, a hesitant Hinata barely letting him do so. They stared at each other, eyes wide and panting from the lack of breath. They both were stunned speechless, and Kiba simply let his eyes wander over every feature of her face, taking in the sight so close for he was sure that once morning rolled around and their senses returned, he'd never have this chance again.

"What does this make us?"

Hinata finally spoke; mirroring Kiba's own movements as she took looked his face up and down, though always returning to either his eyes or lips, hungry for both.

Kiba paused, intently gazing into her eyes, searching for some proof, some reassurance, that this was real and not simply her emotions overwhelmed with stress as he was sure his were.

"Makes us? It makes you a princess, and I a knight, and our predicament is trouble, because I'm sure we're breaking at least a dozen laws in this rushed moment."

Hinata smiled, a light chuckle eluding from her throat as she smiled, happy to see his humor was still as sharp as ever in such a moment. Kiba smiled as well, happy just to have Hinata smile finally.

"Then let those laws be broken, and slow this moment down, because it's too good to be rushed, or legal."

Kiba smiled wider, slowly leading into a second kiss, pulling away only for short breaths.

"And when…morning comes…and your head…returns?"

"What then…?"

"Exactly…how regretful…will you be…of this night's sins…?"

"Regretful…? Not at all…now, rejoicing…but of course!"

Kiba smiled, knowing she mustn't be telling the truth. She pushed him away, a light shove, and looked into his eyes, seriously.

"And you?"

Kiba searched her eyes for a moment, and then smiled, leaning in as his forehead touched her own.

"I can never regret, for all I've wanted these past months has been you, and if I wake in the morn to find you have cursed my name for causing sin the night 'fore, then I'll die then and there, but shamefully I'll die happy, having known I spent my dream's wish with you that very night 'fore."

Hinata smiled, contented with his answer.

"And what shall you think come morn, when you awaken, and a cheery maiden awaits your beckoning call?"

Kiba smiled.

"Does this imply that the certain maiden wishes that by sun's rise to send a servant, beckoning her to meet him?"

"I believe so."

"And if the maiden answers his call and returns once again, when her head is clear, then can the knight rest assure that the night 'fore was not some simple, overwhelming fluke, but indeed actual passion that will be returned each ngiht there after?"

"And the knight shall rest assured, for in the maiden's dreams her feelings for all will vanish, leaving only the love of that knight?"

Kiba leaned closer, his smile vanished.

"You don't mean that."

Hinata's own smile vanished, the lightness and playfulness in her voice also diminishing.

"Try me."

Kiba paused, and then gave an awkward smile, pulling away and extending an arm, which Hinata took.

"Allow me to escort the maiden back to her quarters, where she can think clearly of the matter and make a less rash decision."

He stopped, and Hinata halted by his side.

"Please, Hinata, think carefully. I know I'm not anything to compare to Naruto, who I'm sure you fancied more so than myself, but…just, please be aware of the situation."

Hinata searched Kiba's eyes, looking for any hint of playfulness. It was all gone.

"I shall think upon it this night, and my answer will be prepared by morn."

They were silent the entire walk to Hinata's quarters. Hinata walked through her door, which was still wide open from when she and Kiba had bolted from it. She turned in the doorway, facing Kiba.

"I suppose a good ngiht deserves a good ngiht kiss."

Kiba stepped up, about to deliver said kiss, when he paused.

"How do I know this isn't all a dream?"

He asked. Hinata leaned in, but at the last moment pecked his cheek instead.

"If it is a dream, then awaken happy, for many restless nights are sure to await you and I both," she said, somberly and with a darker meaning that both understood. Still, as Hinata closed the door and Kiba trotted off to his own lodgings, both were aware that the ngiht had ended on a pleasuring note, and nothing could steal that ngiht, at the very least, from either of them.

* * *

**A/N-Wow, that was bad! I'm still SOOO SORRY for the long wait! This story somehow gained popularity (THANK YOU ALL! I probably wouldn't have continued this ahd not so many fans actually liked this story! Sorry!) and I finally had to punch myself and say, "Furly, you dumbass, write the stupid chapter!" I'm obviously not good with fluff, and considering the 'fluff' part of this story (The ending) was kinda rushed, it makes very little snese. I kinda, over this lnog hiatus, lost my plannnig for this story, and several side-notes alnog with it, so the plot is taking a _miniscule_ turn from it's original path, but not too drastic. I've got msot everythnig planned out, and I DEFINETELY PLAN TO WRITE AND POST MUCH SOONER THAN THIS LAST CHAPTER!!!! With that said, I now apologize for the confusing-ness of this chapter. It mgiht jsut be me, thoguh I doubt it, but they seem to switch their 'speech patterns' after their whole 'make-out' session...almsot like two 1800th century drunks, is what I imagine...In my BS explanatino of their behavior, if you've ever been so overly-emotional and basically on a high of emotions, then sometimes you do things you don't mean to, jsut in the 'spur of the moment'. That's msotly what the two are discussing, because despite being so emotionally unstable, they're both aware of it, and are both aware that in the mornnig, when their head is straight, they both very well might regret what they've done. Only the next chapter will tell (Oh, I'm evil...even I think it's horrible to have a crappy cliff-hanger like that after such a long ciff-hanger as this one was! sorry! TT_TT) BTw, Naruto's plan...well, it soudns pretty stupid, even to me, but jsut pretend it makes sense, for plot purposes...ya...anyway, thank you for reading this chapter to those that do, please read & review, and I don't mind flames (I honestly deserve them for this wait-Sorry!) Thank you, until next time! X3**


	11. Grey

**Q/N: Apologies are not enough convey my sincere regret in the large hiatus I spent on this chapter...and I can only offer my apologies that after such a lnog wait all I could provide was this rushed chapter with barely no substance and little plot development...my DEEP regrets and apologies, and I can't say I'm Sorry enoguh in the Quick Note, so I'll save it all for the Author's Note...but, once again, I'm SOOOO SOORRRRRYYYYY!!!!!!! T_T**

**Disclaimer: No**

* * *

_**Grey**_

Morning came with little resistance yet much hesitation. Hinata had not slept a wink, and it showed. She'd spent the entire night pacing her room, nibbling at her finger nails though not biting hard enough to chip their perfected shape (The servant who had given her the manicure had been especially nice and what a waste it would be to ruin the perfection that the servant girl had achieved) and running her fingers along her skirts to abolish any wrinkle that dared to form.

Her mind, naturally, was on Kiba.

Any fantasy, any day-dream she had ever imagined involving herself and Naruto had been replaced with Kiba's face. She'd much forgotten the mere shade of blonde Naruto's hair was, when once before she could recall a thousand shades of sunshine and gold to describe it. His blue eyes appeared dull and cloudy in her mind. His skin was chalky, almost too pasty for her, and his choice in color was a lack of style in either his own taste or whichever servant he commonly referred to.

Kiba was different. His friendly charm she'd known since the beginning now shone brighter in her memory than before. The mere thought of his face sent her face in a heated blush that embarrassed her so heavily; she hid it in her own privacy of her chamber with her hands, concealing the shameful display of affection to one beneath her in ranking. But it wasn't the obvious complications of rank and role that bothered her so heavily. It was her own inner mind, questioning her true devotion and love for Kiba that stirred her for hours on end.

He loved her-he expressed it so, and he has loved her since their first meeting. In the rush of tonight's events and the explosion of emotion, he'd confessed a slow-building affection that could stand par to none. Could her own quick-built affections really compete with that? Was she merely toying with him? Here he was, fully devoted to her, ready to die he was so heavily in love with her. And she?

She was a confused, recluse girl who'd never been in love before. Her first crush had kept her so blind to all the opportunities that she'd over-looked Kiba's devotedness to her. She'd just been informed that the man she thought she loved (So foolishly had loved) was plotting to use her for his own personal gain as a mask to hide his own affair. Naturally, she should be crushed. Then, moments after this is revealed to her, she's confessed to and she instantly rebounds to this poor soul? This sap who is trying to pick up the pieces of a broken girl to remodel her to the bright angel he grew to love? How can she ever reach the potential he built up, the image he sees of her, if all she can ever see in him is the boy who caught her after she fell?

Was that fair to Kiba?

But, as many times as she went over it in her mind, certainty fell on one fact-she'd always loved Kiba, she'd merely been blinded by the charm Naruto had created before her. This sparked more controversy in her mind. Oh, how she could imagine her father's choice words (Assuming he'd gotten past the fact of their rank) if he'd ever partaken on the inner conversations and debates within her mind.

"In love?! You meet a fool once, and you feel bound to him? Months go by without so much as a word from him, and the moment you see him again, you learn he's betrayed your trust, but a bloke in the same predicament instantly fills the void the first idiot left?"

She could imagine her own response (Assuming she'd ever grown enough of a spine to speak back to her father) - "I'm young-We're in love!"

It sounded better in the lore minstrels sang of, she thought.

Still, it was that very reason that she felt she was doing no wrong. She was in love. Fool-heartedly and blindly in love. She was young enough to be naïve to the true depth of love, but old and wise enough to recognize it. She made her decision, and once she decided upon it, each passing minute only spread a seed of doubt in her partner's reply. The sun could not come any slower, she sardonically thought. She watched her candle burn till the flame extinguished itself, leaving a thin trail of grey smoke, cloudy but somehow still transparent. She smiled, watching the trail float upwards.

In a twist of poetic inspiration, she compared her future to the smoke. Thin, with one path-one future set before her. It was cloudy yet clear at the same time-as though she knew what she wanted, but was skeptical about the consequences. But, no matter how dark or light things seemed to get, they could only go up from here.

The moment the knock broke the silence and her train of thought, she nearly jumped from her mattress, flinging the door open widely.

Once she did, and judging by the servant's surprised expression, she finally became aware of her appearance; still a wet, dirty mess from the previous night. However, with a tuck of hair behind her ear, she regained her composure and somehow managed to bring herself together, improving her posture and instantly transforming an air about her that demanded respect and regal treatment.

"Malady, I'm told to beg forgiveness for disturbing your slumber so earl' in the morn'-"

"'Tis fine!" Hinata blurted, instantly loosing her composure. Inside her mind, she cursed herself for throwing away all her hard work to try to redeem herself and she merely gave in to her appearance, shrinking back to an eager shrug, though she still attempted to hold back her enthusiasm as to not stir suspicion.

"I'm also informed," The servant continued as though Hinata had not spoken, which was regulation for servants to do so (Not as much as out of disrespect for the nobles, but more so to avoid responding to them in any way. Their job was to relay a message, not pitch in their own opinions. Any sign of response to a noble that isn't a direct transfer of the responder's could result in severe punishment). "To relay a message to Malady."

"From who?" Hinata demanded impatiently, her voice's pitch giving away her obvious excitement.

"From an inquirer who wishes to remain anonymous."

Hinata's heart sunk as realization set in. Why would Kiba not come up and inform her that it was him? More importantly, why a servant? Why not he, in person, beckon her? For formality? Perhaps this was a joke to him? Was this how knights entertained themselves in Konoha? Toying with foreign mistresses' hearts? No, that idea seemed preposterous. Kiba must have his reasons, Hinata hoped. He wasn't the one that she should be doubting.

"I'm to recite to Malady, 'Hath the maiden an answer?'"

These few words, poetically and simply laid before her, calmed her of all suspicions, and she knew instantly it was Kiba.

Carefully, she chose her words, smiling as a flirtatious undertone weaved its ways into her words.

"You may relay my message. Be it, 'Day shone no clearer than my decision. Night has not changed to morn, and the dream still goes on, with no fear of wakening.'"

* * *

"Day shone no clearer…" Kiba pondered, pacing his room.

Had Akamaru, his head planted lazily upon his paws as he dozed off, been a human, this moment would have been a perfect opportunity for eye-rolling. Kiba had received Hinata's reply several minutes before, yet continued to dissect it as though he'd heard it for the first time.

"That means she doesn't question herself-she's positive of her answer! So, she's thought on it? Right?" Like an eager boy waiting for reassurance, he pouted towards Akamaru. With raised eyes, the dog continued to stare, confused in how to offer any form of comfort.

Not that it mattered, for Kiba instantly moved on to recite the next line of his all-too-memorized response.

"Night has not changed to morn, and the dream still goes on, with no fear of wakening."

Kiba all but squealed. Shamelessly.

"That means she loves me!"

Akamaru simply tucked his head into his belly, curling himself up to drift into a light nap.

Kiba, meanwhile, collapsed on his bed, pillows plopping as the bed swayed with the shift in motion. His mind was flooded with thoughts of an angelic, petite goddess that, against all his prior and wildest thoughts, had accepted his devotion and ultimately now returned his love. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to be engulfed in day dreams merely of her form, twirling around each time in surprise and serenely calling his name.

"_Kiba-kun!"_

"_Kiba-kun..."_

"_Kiba…"_

"Kiba?"

Kiba opened his eyes. Had hours passed? No, only mere minutes. A knock stirred him once more, and he lifted his upper torso to greet the visitor as the door opened. A mere servant.

"His highness requests your presence at breakfast, unless prior engagements occupy you, he says."

Kiba widened his eyes in shock. Was it already time for breakfast? He'd been so nervous and excited he'd let slip his concept of time! He was missing breakfast! He was missing Hinata!

Needless to say, Kiba beat the servant exciting the room to return to the dining hall.

* * *

Neji sighed. He wasn't one to normally do so, merely because sighing was admitting boredom. Admitting boredom was to self proclaim that one had free time and wished for something to occupy one's self to cure them of this abomination.

Still, Neji sighed.

Free time wasn't what was so bothersome. Some time to relax, to put down the pen or the sword was always welcomed openly by Neji. He wanted to train and be as focused as the next knight, but he didn't want to die from over exhaustion. Besides, He had a life outside his duty, believe it or not. No, what really bothered him was having free time and therefore being able to allow his mind to wander.

And wander it did; to thoughts of Hinata.

Ones first impression of such a statement might blatantly come up as 'incest'. No. Mere brotherly-concern. Hinata had never been outside Hyuuga, with the exception of that one trip, which had ended short of a disaster. No doubt she was getting herself into trouble as he spoke. It'd been over a month since she'd left. That was more than enough time for something to go horribly wrong, he bitterly thought.

Then, a comforting thought settled his stirred mind. She was sensible. She was quiet and knew her place, and he knew he needed to have more faith in her ability to handle pressure and situations that could prove dangerous. She surely wasn't frolicking around, making enemies or disgracing the name. No, he would have heard much sooner had something like that happened.

He'd received one letter from her, early on during her stay, that had informed him much of her activity with her several new acquaintances, including the king himself, and she seemed quite happy. She seemed to be getting along with every, including the king. She seemed close to everyone, including the king.

Neji had discussed an early concern with Hiashi. Hiashi had confined in Neji the very possibility of Hinata's marriage with the king, if not of Konoha than surely any neighboring kingdom. It was common knowledge Hiashi's dislike in Hinata, but she was nonetheless the eldest daughter, and if nothing else a promising bargaining chip for possible alliances.

Neji considered this a high honor, if Hinata could in fact woe the future king of Konoha. She'd be a loyal, faithful, decent and humble queen, for sure, he thought.

Neji laughed.

She wasn't the type to have an affair.

* * *

"Hinata!"

Hinata yanked hard at Kiba's jacket, tugging him in closer for a final kiss before pushing him harshly away. He laughed playfully, stumbling backwards, fumbling to address his clothes which had been tussled and yanked at. Hinata herself fumbled with her hair, perfecting it in a rushed technique she'd mastered over the past month.

"Hinata!"

Hinata smiled a playful thing that took all of Kiba's might to restrain himself from taking it as an invitation. The calling was getting louder, and the two were hastily preparing their almost routine act.

"Hinata?!"

"Here!" Kiba called, smiling as he stepped further back form Hinata, calming his heart beat as he slowly pushed their passionate kiss behind him. Out from the brush poked Sakura, her cheerful face smiling in greeting of the two.

"Kiba! There you are, Hinata! It's not surprising that you'd be the first to find her, Kiba! Every time this little girl goes missing, you always know where to find her!"

Kiba smirked, Hinata hiding her blush at Sakura's obliviousness to the truth in her statement.

For the past month, Hinata and Kiba had perfected their secrecy. Hinata had quickly grown into the close-knit circle of friends, which opened her up to several opportunities to hang with the group as a whole. The two took advantage of the time, finding any and all excuses for one of them to leave the group early, or perhaps step out for a moment. To not seem suspicious, the other would wait patiently, and then announce their own departure. A meeting place, purposely picked to be inconvenient for any of the others to by chance wander upon, would be prior picked and the two would converse privately there. More chance opportunities aroused in Naruto's constant absence, always obliged to care and treat to each princess and guest individually which ate away at his time. With no Naruto, the group didn't dare gather, with usually resulted in their disperse. From that point onward, it was a mere matter of finding a secluded area and arriving undetected at it.

If they ever were sought after, the two had prepared the routine that one had stumbled upon the other, or if time allotted them then one would escape to reappear later. They made a game out of it, and the fun and excitement came from the thrill of not being caught. They'd mastered the art of affair, and basked in its rewards. It was a game of deceit and lies, but yielded truth and love.

"We've been calling for you, Hinata, for hours! Do come humor us in the study, we're bored to death with Naruto out parading the princesses," Sakura added bitterly, "and we've all unanimously declared that we wish for nothing else than you to entertain us with the delightful stories of Hyuuga!"

Sakura laughed, oblivious to any suspicion a reasonable person might have brought up in such a scenario, but as she turned her back Hinata merely gave Kiba a sy smile. Kiba mock laughed, and Hinata reacted by placing her finger over her mouth, trying to silence him before Sakura turned around once more.

"Oh, Sasuke! I didn't even see you there!"

Kiba and Hinata froze, Hinata stumbling slightly as she over stepped onto Kiba. Standing erectly in the center of the corridor was Sasuke, glaring forward as though he'd been there the entire time. Sakura seemed to freeze, slightly taken aback. Even Kiba found this weird, considering her past fawning of him. However, what stirred him the most was following his eyes, and the object of their glare; Hinata.

Silence finally was broken as Sasuke cooed out a chilling reply.

"I haven't been here long. Merely admiring the foolishness of youth."

Sakura smiled, awkwardly as though sensing the tension behind her. Hinata shivered slightly, cowering as she bit her trembling lip to still it, past warnings resurfacing in her mind. Shino's words shot through the silence of her head and echoed as though to warn her, and the gut feeling she experienced soon after seemed to agree.

Kiba placed a reassuring arm around her shoulder, though Hinata didn't even flinch. Her nerves settled, if only for a moment.

The moment Kiba did, however, he realized his mistake, as in one instant, for only a mere moment, a flash of victory shot across Sasuke's face, his eyes glowing as though he'd won some important battle. And Kiba knew all too well he'd just done something horribly wrong.

He shot his arm down back to his side, mentally kicking himself for displaying such closeness to a public enemy.

"It may amuse you, Sakura, a sight I saw, not too much earlier. One of a stray mutt-" he paused, "Now, this sounds more up your alley, Kiba," He smiled, Kiba responding with the ever so slightest twitch of a snarl at the corner of his mouth, "But the stray was a miserable sight. Carelessly happy, it doped about, oblivious to its position in the world. It stranded upon a pretty little flower, if I saw so myself. The dog must have liked the way it smelled or something, for it began jumping about it, flopping around and prancing about the dainty thing…" Sasuke paused, as though pondering the memory or trying to add an affect as though the incident has truly caught his attention and curiosity.

"W-what's so odd about that, Sas-" Sakura began, trying to liven the obvious tension. Sasuke cut her off, however.

"-But the dog got too close, and trampled on the flower." Sasuke smiled, flashing his attention back to Hinata in particular.

"Poor thing. It got too close."

Even Sakura did not bother with the situation any further, retreating back to tug Hinata along by the shoulder. Kiba stayed put, his bangs shadowing his eyes as his fist clenched, though he showed no other signs of moving.

Sasuke began walking forth, passing Sakura and Hinata as the two rushed along the stoned arches. As he reached Kiba, he halted.

"I do hope you're aware of what you're not only getting yourself into, but Hinata as well," He whispered, his sharp, raspy voice much like a hiss in Kiba's ears.

"If you're not careful, you'll crush the flower."

Sasuke continued walking onward, only pausing when Kiba barked a response, several yards of distance lying between the two.

"If you touch look…If so much as even look at Hinata, Sasuke…you can consider yourself dead."

His snarl was dead serious, and he flashed an over-the-shoulder glare to back it up. Sasuke watched it, dismayed and showing no signs of being truly threatened, though his smug sneer had all but vanished.

"I'm not the one you should be worried about," Sasuke coolly replied before turning over his shoulder. He raised a hand to wave his regards as he left.

"Remember; I'm not the mutt in this story. You are."

Kiba stood a moment more before shrugging Sasuke's words off and continuing to catch up with Sakura and Hinata, simply brushing Sasuke's warning, which played as a threat in his mind, as mere empty words.

Sasuke smirked, knowing he'd implanted a seed of doubt in the mind of the mutt.

* * *

**A/N: Ok....first of all, I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!x1000000!!!**

**I didn't expect my hiatus to last this long...but that's not even the worst of it...'s worse, is I furthe rinsult you all by publishing this really shitty chapter! It's short and has no substance and I'm terribly sorry! It originally wa splanned to be a large turnnig ponit in plot, but cause I feel time crunched to sbumit something I rushed it and now regret it (XD) I PROMISE that, even though I'm not gonig to go so far as to say the next chapter will be comnig soon (Though I'm SRSLY gonna make an effort to do so) I PROMISE it will be a better chapter, b/c it'll have action...God, this is jsut such a bad chapter T_T**

**For the few that are interested, I have a few notes on this chapter-firstly, yes it's rlly more like half a chapter b/c the original plan for 'Grey' actually involved a battle scene, and even the secret affair scene was suppsoed to be better and more thoguht-out XD But, it's late and I submitted this rushed, first-draft chapter...mayeb I'll replace it with the better chapter (Haha in reviews, when you're flaming it, you cna express you'r eopinion on if I should repalce this chapter or simply continue and do better on the next-that'd be helpful, plz!!) Neji's short, tiny part was merely to serve as a filler to ease into the time jump of a month...it's pathetic, I kno..T_T And you can tell I'm a horrible writer when the scene involving Kiba/Hinata/Sakura goes from 'she popped out of the brush' to 'standing in the middle of the corridor' XD Use your imagination to explain the geography of that one...quite frankly, I'd advise you to use your imagination to fill in much of the plotholes...actually, what you should be doing is compeltely re-writing this story with your imagination to make up for the lack of it in mine XD Once again, I'm terribly sorry for the wait, the quality, and really everythnig! Plz review...and flame XD**


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